◇ Orix Buffaloes vs. Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Game 21 (16th, Kyocera Dome Osaka)

Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Yuma Imagawa hit his first hit of the season, a two-run shot.

In the top of the 8th inning, with a 7-run lead, pinch hitter Kotaro Kiyomiya got a hit and reached base, putting a runner on first with no outs. Imagawa then stepped up to the plate as a pinch hitter. On the fourth pitch thrown by pitcher Shota Abe, he swung at a poorly placed cutter and the ball soared into the upper deck of the left field stands. It was his first hit of the season, and he rounded the bases in jubilation.

Imagawa played in 55 games in the minor leagues, posting impressive batting averages of .281 and Home Run, leading to his first call-up to the first team of the season on the 14th. starting line-up started in that game but went hit in 3 At Bat-bats. Will a hit in this game be the catalyst for him to make an even stronger impression?