◇Orix Buffaloes vs Fukuoka Softbank Game 21 (15th, Kyocera Dome Osaka)

Fukuoka Softbank's Yuki Yanagita hit his 17th 3-run home run.

In the top of the 5th inning with a one-point lead, Tomoya Masaki reached base with a doble with one out, followed by Kensuke Kondo reaching base via a Hit by Pitch. With a scoring opportunity at first and second base and one out, Yanagita came to the plate. On the second pitch thrown by the opponent's starter, Jerry pitcher, he caught a low slider and sent the ball into the right-field stands. It was a shot he knew was gone the moment he hit it, extending the lead to four points.

Yanagita, who is recording a .292 batting average (as of before the game), ranking 3rd in the league across 116 games played. The veteran, who has been in top form since the summer with a .323 average in July and .398 in August, is leading the lineup.

◇Yanagita's Comment
"I hit a slider. Since the opportunity was created for me, I wanted to make something happen. It was a bit off the end of the bat, but I was able to make a good swing. I'm glad it became a home run that provided a big additional lead."

Text by Rian Ueno