Pacific League Nippon-Ham 6-5 Orix (20th, Escon F)
The bullet-shaped line drive landed in the right-field stands in an instant. With the score tied at 2-2 in the fifth inning with two outs and a runner on first, Nippon-Ham ‘s Reyes hit his 25th home run, a two-run shot, in two consecutive at-bats after Iriyama. “I was extremely motivated and fired up, and I went up to bat with a good mindset.” His 25 home runs tied him with his personal best from last season, and with his 72 RBI, he is leading the league with two titles. The team also reached 100 Home Run, the fastest in both leagues for the first time in 27 years, since 1998. With two home runs from their main batter, the team secured its fourth straight win. The team’s lead rose to 24, the most of the season, and they held on to a three-game lead over the league leader, Softbank.
For the first time this season, the team used the same starting line-up as the previous day (19th), scoring 12 hit 6 runs. So far this season, the team has used 108 different lineups in 110 games, resting key players and using different lineups on a daily basis, but with 33 games remaining, the lineup is starting to solidify. Manager Shinjo said after the game on the 19th, “I thought our lineup would cover for us at this stage.” With a strong lineup still in the tank, Shinjo-Ham will be chasing last season’s champions.
(Haruki Kawakami)
Related News
・ [Scoreboard] Nippon-Ham vs. Orix
・ [Nippon-Ham] Four consecutive wins, the most points in the lead at 24, but manager Tsuyoshi Shinjo nitpicks, “I want to make sure I can bunt properly.”
・ [Nippon-Ham] Reyes hits his 25th home run in two consecutive at-bats to take the lead, tying his career high from last season.
・ [Orix] Hiroya Miyagi will return to the team on the 21st against Nippon-Ham. “I want to win the championship and go beyond that.” He has recovered from poor condition of his lower body.
・ [Nippon-Ham] “CANDY TUNE” first baseman pitch, also singing the popular song “Double Fight!”
AloJapan.com