May 7, 2024, 10:57 pm Softbank vs. Nippon-Ham In the bottom of the 12th inning, Softbank with no outs and bases loaded, Shuto hits a walk-off sacrifice fly to left and smiles as he is picked up by Richard (Photo by Shota Iwashita)
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Being able to win a close battle is a testament to your strength. It was Softbank’s seventh overtime game and fourth walk-off win of the season. “A win like this is big. Stick around. Kondo also hit, and in the end Shuto too. It’s really big.” The tone of the King’s team president’s voice also resonated.
They played three consecutive games at their home base with a 2.5-game difference from second-place Nippon-Ham. They came from behind to win the first game on the 6th thanks to Yamakawa’s two home runs. The second round of the day was a tense game. Still, the Hawks did not lose. The final attack of 12 extra innings. First baseman Kondo got on base with a double. The scene where pinch hitter Isamu Nomura was forced to walk for an intentional walk and was faced with no outs on first and second base. Richard, who entered his turn at bat and was forced into a 1-2 count, bit into a low slider and carried it to center field while breaking his bat. Although Roman continued to struggle with dealing with breaking balls, he responded well in this at-bat and played an assist role in the walk-off play. “I want to repay Coach Kokubo. I’ll just do my best.” Although he was not able to join the first team in the opening season, he is facing the “now” with a sense of disappointment. Yamakawa, whom he regards as his mentor, is also a big factor. On the bench during games, they discuss their batting after each at-bat, and it is a daily routine for the two of them to practice batting after games. It’s already been 7 years. I want it to be a wake-up call.
It was a big win for the team. This brings his total record with Nippon-Ham to 998 wins. None of the six Pacific League teams has yet reached 1,000 wins in each matchup. With two more wins, the Hawks can set a milestone of 1,000 wins against the Nippon-Ham. They hope to take the lead against Memorial with three consecutive wins.
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2024-05-08 01:21:09
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