◇Saitama Seibu Lions vs. Tohoku Rakuten Eagles Game 8 (October 10th, Belluna Dome)

Saitama Seibu Lions 's Manaya Nishikawa hit his long-awaited first home run, a two-run shot.

In the bottom of the second inning, with the bases bases loaded and one out, Nishikawa hit sacrifice fly deep to center fielder on the first pitch, bringing in an additional run. In the bottom of the fourth inning, with one out and a runner on second base, he came to bat again. On a 2-1 count, he connected with breaking ball that came in from the shoulder of the third pitcher, Masaru Fujii, sending the ball into the right field stands. He marked his first Home Run of the season with a pink bat specially made for Mother's Day.

Nishikawa struggled this season, batting just .120 in the first eight games and even being demoted to the minor leagues. However, he has improved his form in May, playing in eight games and recording 12 hit At Bat at-bats for a batting average of .333 (as of the start of the game). We hope that this home run in this game will be a stepping stone for him to lead the team in a significant role.

Written by Ao Yokoyama