◆ Pacific League Orix 1-9 Softbank (8th, Kyocera Dome Osaka)
He raised his right hand while watching the parabola of the memorial. Softbank outfielder Kensuke Kondo (31) returned to starting line-up as the No. 4 hitter and designated hitter, and hit his 100th career home run with a leadoff grand slam. With one out in the third inning, he hit an Espinoza breaking ball into the right field stands, his second bases loaded slam in 11 years. "It was a perfect hit, and it was a feeling I hadn't felt in a long time," he said, reveling in the moment as he held up the commemorative board.
He injured his left heel in the game against Hiroshima (Mazda) on June 17th, where he started and hit in two consecutive games, and only played in three games as a pinch hitter in the 14 games that followed. "I'm still not at 100%," said manager Kokubo. Even though he's not in perfect health, his genius bat control is still intact. He also hit a timely single to the right in the eighth inning, and was relieved of his duties with five RBI. He did a good job as the No. 4 batter, leading the team to three consecutive wins and second place.
Last season, he was named the league's batting hitter for the first time and was named MVP of the league. This season, his back pain worsened immediately after the start of the season, and he underwent surgery for a hernia on April 2nd. During that time, the team struggled, losing seven games at the most and being six games behind the leader at the most. However, since Kondo's return to the first team on May 27th, they have not had a losing streak. Their lead has now increased to a record 13 games.
Although he was not acquainted with Mr. Nagashima, who passed away on June 3, he was also from Chiba, number 3. He boasts a .370 batting average (over 4,000 At Bat), which ranks 12th on the all-time list, surpassing Mr. Nagashima, who ranks 14th all-time. He is originally an average type, but his Home Run pace increased drastically after he joined Softbank in 2011 as a FA. Nippon-Ham The first 11 years of the "F" team had 52, and the second two and a half years of the The Hawks team had 48. Home Run The first time I went to the store, I was in the middle of the night," he said. 'I simply changed my mindset. home runだけでなく、長打にこだわりというか、意識は置くようにしている」と説明した。 The small, 173-centimeter tall big hitter will lead his team to back-to-back league championships. （The team's first-ever league championship.)
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