◆ Pacific League Rakuten Eagles Orix Buffaloes (16th, Rakuten Eagles Mobile Saikyo Park Miyagi)

Hideto Asamura infielder of the , who had been struggling, hit a game-winning to lead the team to a . Rakuten Eagles grand slam win

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Asamura blew everything away. The white ball soared beautifully. In the bottom of the sixth inning, with one out and bases loaded, trailing by two runs, it was the first pitch. He pulled Iwasaki's fastball down the middle. It was perfect. The moment he hit it, he felt such a solid connection that he walked over to watch it. A game-winning bases loaded slam, his seventh of the season, flew into the left-field stands. This is what we wanted to see. This is what we had been waiting for. "The manager keeps giving me playing time despite these results, so I wanted to do something." The veteran who had struggled decided the game.

He was in a dark tunnel. He got off to a good start in March and April, but his performance gradually declined. In June, his batting average was .161 with only one Home Run, and in July, as of before this game, his batting average was .088, a real struggle. He wasn't getting any extra-base hits either. "It was really tough." He was suffering from an extreme slump.

Even so, he couldn't hang his head. It was because he had the support of those around him even amidst his struggles. "The manager, the two batting coaches, the support staff, everyone really cared about me the whole time." He spoke with batting coach Yamashita every day after the three-game series Softbank Hawks in the previous series. They talked for a total of over 150 minutes over three days. "She's not my girlfriend or anything..." he said with an embarrassed smile, but he couldn't help but be moved by their passionate dedication. "All I can say is I'm grateful." It was because he wanted to repay their support that he never stopped swinging the bat. He finally hit the long-awaited home run after struggling and suffering. "More than being happy that I hit it, it's more that I was able to give back to those people." He felt relieved by the home run that was his way of showing his gratitude.

With one swing from their main slugger, the team achieved a three-game sweep against the same opponent. Manager Yoshii, who has starting line-up started Asamura, praised him, saying, "It was great. That one hit secured the win," and added with anticipation, "He's capable of so much more. He's not the kind of player to end his career like this." Asamura feels the same way. "I didn't think I did too badly in the three-game series against Orix Buffaloes. Now it's just a matter of whether I can get the ball in front of me. If I can improve that, I think I can definitely hit." The reliable veteran has raised the banner of his comeback. (Kota Miyauchi)