◆ Pacific League: Orix Buffaloes vs. Rakuten Eagles (3rd, Tokyo Dome)

Orix Buffaloes outfielder Ryoto Kita hit a solo home run, his third of the season, in the bottom of the 6th inning with one out and his team trailing by three runs. With a 1-1 count, he swung at a curveball from Rakuten Eagles 's Shoji and the ball landed in the right-field stands where Orix Buffaloes fans were waiting. "The feeling was perfect. We were losing, so I went to the plate determined to get on base and create a chance. I think the ball went at a good angle," he said happily.

On this day, Ota complained of discomfort in his left wrist while defense first base in the first inning, so he came in as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the inning with two outs and a runner on second base. In that at-bat, he hit a timely doble that hit the left wall, and by his third at-bat, he had already recorded two RBI, showing his presence on the field.