◇ Chiba Lotte Marines vs Saitama Seibu Lions, Game 21 (19th, Zozo Marine Stadium)

Saitama Seibu Lions player Canario hit two consecutive Home Runs.

Canario, who has been in good form with a five-game on-base streak, first stepped into the box as the leadoff hitter in the top of the 1st inning and caught the first pitch, a fastball, from opposing starter Shuta Takano pitcher. The ball flew straight into the right-field stands, successfully giving the team an early lead. This was Canario's fourth leadoff Home Run of the season. The previous one was hit on August 29th against the Rakuten Eagles, a game in which Chihiro Sumida pitcher also started.

Carrying that momentum into the top of the 3rd inning, Canario again led off the inning and drove Shuta Takano pitcher's third pitch, a fork, into the right-field home run lagoon, adding a run with his 15th solo Home Run and his second consecutive Home Run of the game.

With the gap between them and the third-place Hokkaido Nippon-Ham having narrowed to 0.5 games as of the 18th, Canario provided valuable run support. To maintain second place, he will look to continue producing results in his upcoming plate appearances.

◇ Canario Comment (Top of 1st)
"I hit a fastball. I went into the box focused on swinging aggressively. I'm happy it resulted in a home run."

◇ Canario Comment (Top of 3rd)
"I hit a fork. The moment I hit it, I thought the ball went too high and would be blown back by the wind, so I'm glad it cleared the wall."

Text by Mao Tsutsui