Lotte's Naonori Yasuda hit a valuable home run that turned the tide of a seemingly hopeless game.

With two outs and no runner in the ninth inning with a one-run deficit, the mound was led by the absolute closer Leidel Martinez, making it seem the game was decided. However, Yasuda perfectly captured a 155 km/h fastball and sent it back to the right-center stands. A last-minute game-tying home run brought the game back to square one.

Yasuda's home run was also a topic of discussion on the CS Fuji TV ONE program "Professional baseball News" which aired on the 7th. First, Akihiko Oya analyzed, "With two outs and no runner on base, it seemed like he was able to relax in a good way at the plate. It was a situation where he could do something big, and I think he went into it with the mindset that it would be okay even if he struck out."

Akio Saito also drew attention to the changes in Yasuda this season. "This season, he seems to have more composure in his expression. Up until now, he had a strong desire to hit the ball, and you could sometimes sense that he was tensing up, but on this day he was relaxed when he stepped up to the plate. That was a big factor," he said, suggesting that his mental growth led to that dramatic home run.

☆ Cooperation: Fuji TV ONE "Professional baseball News 2026"