◇ Tohoku Rakuten Eagles vs. Saitama Seibu Lions 14th Round (18th, Rakuten Eagles Mobile Saikyo Park Miyagi)

​McCuscar from Tohoku Rakuten Eagles hit his 12th solo home to take the lead. With a confident shot the moment he hit, it brought a valuable opening goal to a team on a three-game winning streak.

McCuscar, who plays a key role in the lineup, comes to bat as the leadoff hitter in the bottom of the second inning. On the second pitch thrown by opposing starter Natsuki Takeuchi pitcher, he pulled the change-up high with a sharp swing. The ball, which had a long hang time, landed in the home run zone toward left field. On the first day of the splash sheet, where water sprays every hit, he energized the game with his first-ever hit home run.

The previous game against Orix Buffaloes, who swept, was McCuscar, who had been struggling with 10 At Bat 1 hit. Still, his strong form of .310 (pre-game) in July, including his sixth Home Run of the month, remains strong.

◇ Comment from Player McCuscar
"The one who hit was change-up. I'm glad we got to score first. I'll do my best in the next at-bat so I can win (smile)."

Text by Ao Yokoyama