◆ Pacific League Nippon-Ham 1-12 Seibu Lions (December 12, ES CON FIELD)

The ball soared with great force as it flew into the right field bullpen. Seibu Lions 's first-round draft pick, catcher Taiga Kojima (22), rounded the bases without changing his expression as he watched the ball fly in. "I thought it was going to go (the moment I hit it)." He finally broke into a smile after receiving a boisterous celebration in the dugout.

In the 8th inning with one out and bases loaded, 8-0, it was a waza-ari home run that deflected Saito's 153 km/h two seam fastball that came high inside corner. His third homer, his first in 41 games since the April 8 game against Softbank Hawks (Mizuho PayPay), was the first Grand Slam for a team rookie in 20 years since Ginjiro Sumitani in 2006. He expressed his joy, saying, "I was lucky to have a good result in a good moment, and since it was my first grand slam, I think it will be a lifelong memory."

The night before the game, he enjoyed a barbecue with his family who were visiting Hokkaido. His sister had asked him to "hit home run!", and he proudly declared, "I'm glad I was able to do it," showing his authority as an older brother. The long road trip, which began with the game against Softbank Hawks on the 1st (Mizuho PayPay Dome) and covered a total distance of approximately 6,000 kilometers, ended with a record of 3 wins, 5 losses, and 1 draw, but he got through it while enjoying himself, saying, "The scenery changes, so I thought it was good to have something fresh, and Belluna Dome is nice, but I think playing in various stadiums is the real thrill of professional baseball."

The first-round draft pick rookie, who also provided excellent defensive leadership for Sumida, Moriwaki, and Ueda, led the team to win. Despite the fatigue from the long journey, his steps were light as he boarded the bus home. (Takeshi Nagai)

[Record Note] Rookie Kojima (Nishi) hit his grand slam. Rookie grand slam is the 62nd player and 63rd home run since Yoshinobu Takahashi (Giants), who hit two in 1998, and Takaki Watarai (D) in the April 26, 2024, game against The Giants.In the Pacific League, he is the 30th player to achieve 30 home runs since Tokumasa Chano (Orix) on June 1, 2023, against Hiroshima (10 players and 10 home runs in the Central League; 22 players and 23 home runs in the Pacific League). For the team, he is the 11th player to achieve 11 home runs since Ginjiro Sumitani on March 29, 2006, against Softbank Hawks.