◆ Pacific League Nippon-Ham 7-4 Lotte (24th, ES CON FIELD)

Nippon-Ham Fighters manager Tsuyoshi Shinjo (54) was happier than anyone at the successive sounds of the ball being hit. In the first inning, Yuki Kiyomiya, who had been pinch-hit for the team the previous day, hit a go-ahead RBI doble the right field line. Nomura, who was also pinch-hit for the team, hit back-to-back home runs in the third and fifth innings. Mizutani, who was left out of starting line-up the previous day, also hit a two-run homer to right field, his fourth of the season. The team rose to third place, and Shinjo laughed, saying, "They pinch-hit for us yesterday, by Kotaro & Jay (Nomura). They leave us out of starting line-up yesterday, by Jesse (Mizutani). That's it, I was so happy."

The stimulus measures worked. In the game against the same opponent on the 23rd, Manami and Mizutani were left out of starting line-up, and pinch hitters were sent in for Kiyomiya Yuki and Nomura. As the season reaches its halfway point, the manager once again emphasized the importance of competition. Kiyomiya Yuki, who recorded his second multi-hit game of the season, including a go-ahead hit, said, "It's not like I was being kicked in the butt, but that's the feeling I had, so I was determined to do my best." Nomura, who was pinch-hit for after striking out in two at-bats the previous day and was used as the cleanup hitter this time, also revealed his feelings, saying, "It's frustrating to be replaced after only two at-bats. As someone who likes to make an impression at the plate, being pinch-hit for makes me feel a sense of urgency."

With hit coming in consistently, hit the professional baseball record of getting a hit in every inning for two consecutive games. This is the second time the team has achieved this remarkable feat, the first being in August 2000. Riding this momentum, they will face league leaders Seibu in a three-game series starting on the Seibu Lions (at Belluna Dome). They will be up against a powerful pitcher staff, but manager Shinjo said, "We're going for another winning streak." They aim to make a comeback with their revived batting lineup. (Yasushi Yamaguchi)

◆Record Notes: Nippon-Ham hit in every inning from the first inning, with the order being 2, 1, 2, 2, 2, 1, 2, 1. They also recorded hit in the 1st to 8th innings of their game against Lotte on the 23rd, making it the first time since DeNA in 2013 (September 30th and October 1st) that a hit has recorded hit in every inning in two consecutive games. This is the 23rd time in professional baseball that a team has recorded a hit in every inning in two consecutive games. For Nippon-Ham, it is the second time in 26 years, the first being in 2000 (against Orix Buffaloes on August 24th and Daiei on August 26th).