◇ Saitama Seibu Lions vs Fukuoka Softbank 18th Round (7th, Belluna Dome)

Saitama Seibu Lions Sena Tsuge hit his first solo homer.

Batting seventh and catcher, he started for the first time since July 26. In the bottom of the fifth, trailing by one run, he entered his second at-bat as the leadoff hitter of the inning. count From 0-1, he swung through a high outside cutter thrown by opposing starter Haru Matsumoto pitcher, and the ball went straight to the left field stands. It was his first home run in four years since 2022, tying the game.

Tsuge has been playing mostly as a defense hold-up late in the game, but has responded to his role with a .306 batting average (pre-game). With this one hit, he hopes to further promote his commitment to starting line-up.

◇ Comment from Player Tsuge
"The one who hit was cutter. (Mitsunari) Takahashi is working hard, so I came to bat determined to secure the win. The ball flew at a good angle, and I'm glad we were able to tie the game. I'll keep working hard."

Text by Rihoko Niwa