◆ Pacific League Softbank Hawks 8-4 Nippon-Ham (29th, Mizuho PayPay Stadium)

Nippon-Ham catcher Yuya Gunji hit his first home run of the season, a shot over left Home Run with no outs in the 8th inning of the game against Softbank Hawks Hawks on the 29th (at Mizuho PayPay Dome). The team suffered three straight losses to start the season, but this home run was a big boost for the cleanup hitter, signaling a return to form.

Gunji didn't miss the one pitch that got away. In the 8th inning, trailing by four runs, he stepped up to the plate as the leadoff batter and connected with a floating 141 km/h cutter from Softbank Hawks 's Kamichatani. It was his first home run of the season, a solo shot over left field that landed in the stands. "I didn't start well today either, but I was able to make adjustments in the end, so that was good," he nodded.

He's been batting fourth since the start of the season, but went hitless in the opening game. His first hit came in his ninth at-bat. It was his second hit of the season, a home run. While being closely marked along with Reyes, he capitalized on a mistake pitch and analyzed, "My challenge going forward is to be able to hit the sweet spots properly and not fall for the traps."

While the team's offense has been lively, Gunji has gotten off to a slightly slow start, but he says, "At the beginning, the visible numbers tend to fluctuate, so I try not to worry about it too much." Despite starting with three straight losses, Gunji remains positive, saying, "This year there was an atmosphere of wanting to win the championship, so I think we can get back to the mindset of taking it one win at a time." He's shifting his mindset and will make a fresh start at their home stadium, Escon.