◇ Hokkaido Nippon-Ham vs Saitama Seibu Lions 13th Round (10th, ES CON FIELD)

Saitama Seibu Lions Masayuki Kuwahara hit his third solo home run to tie the game.

While starting pitcher Natsuki Takeuchi pitcher pitched well, the opposing starter Hiromi Ito pitcher was under pressure, going three hit through the sixth inning. However, in the top of the seventh, trailing by one run, Kuwahara caught a slider that had been softly brought in with one out, and moved to left-center. It reached the stands, tying the game.

This season, although he started the season with strong hitting, he was sidelined by a muscle strain. He returned to the first team after interleague play, but struggled to improve his form, going 26 consecutive at-bats without hit. This one hit will help him regain his batting and lead the team once again.

◇ Comment from Player Kuwabara
"The one who hit was slider. I went for it aggressively, and the result was home run, so I'm glad we were able to tie the game. I'll keep doing my best."

Text by Minagi Niwa