◆ Pacific League Rakuten 2-4 Nippon-Ham (20th, Rakuten Mobile)
The temperature was 32 degrees. The ball cut through the scorching blue sky. With the score tied in the fourth inning, with one out and runners on first and third, Nippon-Ham Ham infielder Kotaro Kiyomiya (26) hit a 152 km/h pitch from Rakuten ‘s Uchi into the center of right field for his eighth home run of the season. The Home Run had eight wins in eight games in which they hit a home run, and they did not forget to thank their fans, saying, “It feels like baseball season. I know it’s really hot, but thank you so much until the end.” The team has now won 20 games, the most they have won since 2016, and has taken sole possession of first place for the first time in 16 years since 2009, when they won the league championship.
He expressed his gratitude to Manager Shinjo with his bat. In early July, the manager donated a uniform with the number “1” to “Ekagoto,” a brown rice udon specialty restaurant that opened in Sapporo and is jointly operated by his father, Katsuyuki. On it is written in his own handwriting, “Effort is a lifetime. The real thing comes once. The chance is fleeting,” and is displayed in the store. “I’m so happy. It’s handwritten and the handwriting is really beautiful. I want to hit more,” he said, turning it into power.
The manager appeared at the press conference immediately after the game, but left the room saying, “There’s something I want to talk about tomorrow, so please ask the players today. Thank you,” before swiftly getting into a taxi. With the exception of the periods from 1973 to 1982 when the team was split into two halves, the team has been in sole first place at the halfway point of the season five times in the past, and has won three times. Riding on momentum, the Shinjo Ham Fighters are steadily approaching their first league championship in nine years. (Kawakami Haruki)
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AloJapan.com