◇Saitama Seibu Lions vs. Chiba Lotte Marines, Game 13 (15th, Belluna Dome)

Saitama Seibu Lions Taiga Hirasawa The player successfully took the lead with a timely hit, his first in about a month.

In the bottom of the 3rd inning, with the score tied 1-1, with one out... Natsuo Takizawa A player got on base with hit. Next up at bat was Hirasawa, who swung hard at the fourth pitch, an outside ball. The ball soared towards right field, went over right fielder 's head, and bounced off wall bounce giving Takizawa the opportunity to round third base and head for home. It was a close call, but he slid headfirst into home plate to score the go-ahead run.

In his first at-bat, he made a mistake by hitting a foul fly ball off a bunt with no outs and runners on first and second, but he made up for it with this hit. He had been in good form since the start of the season, but his playing time has decreased due to a back injury, and his batting has been somewhat inconsistent, but he recorded his first timely hit since June 21st.

◇Comment from Hirasawa
"I took a shot. I went for it with the intention of passing the ball back, and that resulted in a good outcome. I'm glad I was able to score an additional goal."

Written by Kai Nagi Niwa