Softbank Hawks 's Kondo hit a parabola dedicated to his brother. In the third inning, with two outs and a runner on first base, and the score tied 0-0, he swung at two consecutive slider from Hiroike. He sent his eighth home run of the season, a two-run shot to right field, and reflected, "I had an image in my mind when the first slider came. It was a truly perfect hit."

He rounded third base and looked up at the sky. After the game, he revealed that his older brother, Yosuke, had passed away on the 6th at the age of 38, and choked out, "My brother loved baseball, and I came (to the stadium) because I wanted him to play in the game. I was given the chance to hit, so I think he might have been watching over me." He said they often played catch together, and he clasped his hands together at home plate and his eyes were red in the dugout.

The team came back from a two-run deficit in the ninth inning to secure their first walk-off win of the season. They maintained a 3.5-game lead over first-place Orix Buffaloes, and Kondo reiterated his determination, saying, "It's a close race, so we want to keep playing in a way that leads to wins." (Tosei Moriguchi)