◆ Pacific League: Lotte 5-3 Rakuten Eagles (29th, ZOZO Marine Stadium)

Lotte achieved their first three-game winning streak of the season, escaping last place Pacific League and moving up to fifth place.

In the fourth inning, trailing 1-2, Polanco led off with a solo home run off Rakuten Eagles starter Maeda Kenta, his second of the season, which hit the right field foul pole to tie the game. Because he hit the pole, which had an advertisement for Lotte's snack "Toppo" on it, he won 1,000 "Toppo" snacks.

After one out, Inoue stepped up to the plate. He hit a go-ahead solo home run to left field off Maeda Kenta. It was his first hit and first home run in his first starting line-up since transferring from Hanshin Tigers in the active player draft last December. As it was a special game commemorating the 40th anniversary of the release of Nintendo's "Super Mario Bros.", he joked around by doing a Mario jump in front of the first base dugout.

Starting pitcher Nishino gave up two runs in the middle of the fifth inning, missing out on his first win in two years. Relief pitchers Yagi and Sawada held on for the win. There is no game on the 30th, and the team will face Seibu Lions in the first game of their series on May 1st (at ZOZO Marine Stadium).