◆ Pacific League Orix Buffaloes 9-6 Rakuten Eagles (3rd, Tokyo Dome)

Orix Buffaloes outfielder Ryoto Kita decided the game with his first professional walk-off hit. In the bottom of the ninth inning with one out and runners on first and second base, he hit his second home run of the day, a three-run shot to right-center field off Rakuten Eagles 's Fujihira, his fourth of the season. Entering the game as a substitute for cleanup hitter Ota, who was experiencing discomfort in his left wrist, Kida had a spectacular performance with his second two-homer game of the season and tied his personal best of five RBI platform, he exclaimed, "It was perfect. It feels amazing!"

With a 2-1 count, he made perfect contact with the opposing closer's fork. "Among really good pitcher, I was able to time my swing for breaking ball with the same timing as for the fastball. I had a good feeling and was able to hit well," he recalled excitedly. "It was an emergency, so my feet were a bit wobbly. (Even so) I was mentally prepared," he said, referring to his first inning as a pinch hitter, where he hit a timely doble that hit the left wall with two outs and a runner on second. In the sixth inning, trailing by three runs, he launched another home run to right-center field, and he said, "As a team, we never gave up," embodying the tenacity to stay in the game even when trailing by as much as five runs.

In front of 41,015 fans gathered for their first home game at Tokyo Dome in 17 years, the team achieved their seventh walk-off victory of the season. They returned to a .500 winning percentage and narrowed the gap with third-place Nippon-Ham who are in playoff contention, to 6.5 games. "We want to cherish each and every game and give it our all," declared Kida, vowing to fight tooth and nail in the remaining 45 games. They aim to build on this midsummer drama and launch a major counterattack.