◆Nippon Life Interleague Series 2026: Lotte vs. DeNA (June 12th, ZOZO Marine Stadium)

Lotte’s Koki Yamaguchi outfielder started the game batting sixth and playing left field. In his first at-bat in the second inning with one out, he launched a powerful, game-opening solo home run—his eighth of the season—over the back screen off DeNA starter Irie. After watching the ball land, he thrust his right hand high into the air.The fans at the team’s home stadium, ZOZO Marine Stadium, erupted in a frenzy. Yamaguchi commented, “I hit a fastball. We managed to take the lead first, but they came back to take the lead, so we need to get it back right away. We’ll all work together to get it back.”

He was also "very busy" defense that day. Of the six outs he recorded through the second inning, four were hit to left field. In the second inning, he handled a single to left field and three fly balls to left field, setting the rhythm that led to his powerful home run immediately afterward.

In his eighth professional season, this was his eighth home run in the team's 62nd game. If calculated over a 143-game season, he's on Home Run for 18.5 home runs, surpassing his personal best of 16 in 2022. This season, he hit his first home run on May 13 against Nippon-Ham Fighters, and has since hit eight Home Run in about a month.