◇ Tohoku Rakuten Eagles vs Saitama Seibu Lions Game 18 (22nd, Rakuten Eagles Mobile Saikyo Park Miyagi)

​Yuto Koga Saitama Seibu Lions player scored a timely two-point doble in the final.

The lineup struggled against the opposing starter, Takahisa Hayakawa pitcher, despite firing 5 hit through the 7th inning. Still, in the top of the 8th inning, replacing the second pitcher Ryu Kutani pitcher, players Taiga Kojima and Canario created a good opportunity with two outs and runners on first and second in Walk. Koga then entered his fourth at-bat and caught fastball on the first pitch of pitcher Kutani. The ball went over first baseman 's head, and in the meantime, runner scored home plate. It became a two-run doble in the final.

Koga has been in great form this season, hitting .281 with runners in scoring position and .341 with runners in scoring position (both before the game). He demonstrated his clutch strength in this game as well.

Text by Aoi Nishijima