Author: Japan Reacts Editorial

On September 15, the Chicago White Sox suffered a stunning comeback walk-off loss, 6-7, on the road against the Guardians in Cleveland. The go-ahead runs scored with two outs in the ninth, stretching the gap behind the AL Central-leading Guardians to 0.5 games. Munetaka Murakami, who played in the game, went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts and a walk. Over his last 14 games since September began, he’s batting just .098 (5-for-51), with his OPS cratering to .436. In the 5ch reaction thread, users debated the causes behind this extreme slump, compared him to Kazuma Okamoto — who has been adjusting well around the same time — and discussed batting order and usage decisions.

Sponichi

[ September 16, 2026, 10:38 ]

AL White Sox 6-7 Guardians (September 15, 2026 Cleveland)

Source: sponichi.co.jp / Original article here

*This article is compiled as an excerpt/summary of the 5ch (Geinou/Sports Express+) thread “White Sox Stunned: Walk-Off Loss With Two Outs in the 9th — Murakami Goes 0-for-4 with 4 Whiffs as Series Splits 1-1, Gap Now 0.5 Games.”

Shukan Bunshun has reported that a 60th birthday celebration for Juri Fujishima, former president of the ex-Johnny’s agency, was held on July 20 at an upscale restaurant in Roppongi, with numerous current and former STARTO ENTERTAINMENT talent turning out for the occasion. When Fujishima announced the agency’s dissolution in October 2023, she stated she would “focus solely on compensation and emotional support for the talent, and have no involvement in any other operations.” The agency itself told Bunshun that “the talent organized it as a surprise.” Reactions on 5ch were split between those who saw no issue with it as a private celebration and those questioning why someone who was supposed to have stepped back from management still has such close ties to the talent.

Shukan Bunshun’s reporting has revealed that a 60th birthday celebration for Juri Fujishima, former president of the ex-Johnny’s agency, was held on July 20 at an upscale restaurant in Roppongi, with talent from the former Johnny’s agency (now STARTO ENTERTAINMENT) turning out in force.

When Fujishima dissolved Johnny’s agency in October 2023, she declared, “Going forward, I will focus solely on compensation and emotional care for the talent, and will have no involvement in any other duties,” stepping back from talent management operations.

A star-studded lineup showed up to surprise her

Source: bunshun.jp / Original article here

*This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “[Agency admits “talent organized it as a surprise”] Former President Julie’s 60th Birthday Celebration at Upscale Roppongi Restaurant [Guest List Obtained] [Ailuropoda melanoleuca★].”

Hiroshima’s Ryosuke Kikuchi had been in fine form — hitting safely in three straight games against Yakult from September 13-15 and batting cleanup for the first time in three years — when, on September 16, the digital edition of “Weekly Bunshun” named him in a report alleging he had assaulted a former teammate, Ryutaro Hazuki. According to a team insider, during a joint voluntary training camp in Shizuoka Prefecture, Kikuchi got Hazuki, who doesn’t drink, drunk, and after Hazuki dozed off, pressed a fork heated with a lighter against his neck. Masaya Yano and Yuya Nirasawa, now with the industrial-league team NTT East, are also said to have been present. On the forum, opinions split not just over condemning the alleged assault, but over whether it was right for Hazuki to testify under his real name.

In the September 13 game against Yakult, Hiroshima’s Ryosuke Kikuchi batted cleanup for the first time in three years, and with the team trailing by three runs in the 8th inning, he hit an RBI double to left field for the team’s only run of the game. The next day, back in the No. 2 spot, he reached base on a single to right field in the first inning to spark the rally that opened the scoring, contributing to a 3-0 shutout win. On the 15th, he added another single to right in the first inning, then drove in a run with a groundout to third in the second. The 36-year-old second baseman has now hit safely in three straight games and remains an active part of the first-team roster.

Then Kikuchi’s name surfaced in an entirely different context. On September 16, the digital edition of Weekly Bunshun named Kikuchi outright, reporting allegations that he had assaulted a former teammate, Ryutaro Hazuki.

According to the article, during a joint voluntary training camp in Shizuoka Prefecture, Hazuki, who doesn’t drink, was made to drink at a meal, and after he dozed off, Kikuchi pressed a fork he’d heated with a lighter against his neck, a team insider testified. Masaya Yano and Yuya Nirasawa, now with the industrial-league team NTT East, are also said to have been present.

Source: asagei.com / Original article here

77AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:29

※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5channel (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “Hiroshima’s Kikuchi Accused by Teammate: ‘Pressed a Lighter-Heated Fork to His Neck’.”