◆ Pacific League: Nippon-Ham vs. Rakuten Eagles (7th, ES CON FIELD)

Nippon-Ham 's catcher Kengo Yoshida responded to being immediately given the cleanup hitter position upon his promotion to the first team.

In his first at hit bat as the leadoff batter in the second inning, he hit a 152 km/h pitch from Rakuten Eagles starter Urena to center fielder. He added a special touch to his return to the first team with a single to center field. He then sprinted down the left field line on Nomura's subsequent doble, but was tagged out at home plate.

On July 25th, in a game Rakuten Eagles (at Escon Stadium), Yoshida hit a ball down the right field line but failed to slide into second base, resulting in him being tagged out. Manager Shinjo substituted him out as punishment, saying, "If he had slid, he would have definitely been safe." He was removed from the roster the following day.

He acknowledged that the pain in his left thigh had affected him, but reflected, "It was an unnecessary rest, so I regret that. In that situation, even if my leg was actually hurting, it's just an excuse." With the magic number now lit up against the leading Softbank Hawks, he expressed his determination, saying, "We've reached a point where we absolutely cannot afford to lose, so I want to get as many wins as possible to get in the spotlight."