The Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles were locked into last place for the first time in eight years. Rakuten fell 6-3 to the Chiba Lotte Marines at home at Rakuten Mobile Park on Sept. 29, sealing the club’s first last-place finish since 2018. (Sponichi, 2026-09-30)

Rookie starter Itsuki Ito took his first professional loss, giving up five runs on eight hits over six innings. Lotte’s Daito Yamamoto drove the offense with three hits, including solo homers in the second and sixth. Manager Yoshii pointed to Ito’s pitch sequencing after the game and urged him to bounce back. (Sponichi, 2026-09-30; Full-Count, 2026-09-30)

Elsewhere in the Pacific League, the Saitama Seibu Lions closed out their home schedule with a 2-1 win over the Orix Buffaloes. Shinya Hasegawa’s 12th homer of the season — a two-run shot in the second — turned the game around, and starter Kaima Taira went seven innings of one-run ball for his 12th win, a career high that also put him back over the innings threshold for the first time in three years. (Full-Count, 2026-09-30)

In the Central League, the Yomiuri Giants beat the Hiroshima Toyo Carp 3-1. Shosei Togo tossed 8 2/3 innings of two-hit, one-run ball for his first win in 98 days and his fifth of the season — a rebound from his nine-run nightmare against DeNA on Sept. 15 — keeping Yomiuri’s come-from-behind title hopes alive. (Daily Sports, 2026-09-30)

Sources: Sponichi, 2026-09-30; Full-Count, 2026-09-30; Daily Sports, 2026-09-30