◆ Pacific League: Nippon-Ham 2-1 Softbank Hawks (1st, ES CON FIELD)

Nippon-Ham infielder Rodolfo Castro (27) delivered a game-winning hit to avenge his humiliation.

He entered the game against the Softbank Hawks in the top of the seventh inning for defense in right field. Manager Tsuyoshi Shinjo said, "It just came to me. I had a feeling Kacchan was going to get a hit." The strategy he employed based on that intuition proved to be a success.

In the bottom of the eighth inning with the score tied 1-1 and two outs and a runner on third, Castro came up for his first plate appearance. Although he was quickly cornered after two strikes, he stepped out of the batter's box to take a breath. 'You can do this,' he told himself before stepping back in. On the third pitch, he connected with a fastball, sending it through to center field for the game-winning RBI single. 'The result I was hoping for came through. I am extremely happy to have contributed to the team,' he said with a broad smile.

He faced pitcher Moinelo on August 18th. In that game, he was struck out and finished with 0 hits in 2 At Bats. He brought back the image of that moment in his mind. 'I valued my previous experience. At that time, I felt he threw many fastballs to me. I thought a straight ball would come in that situation as well.' He conquered the difficult opponent with a hit exactly as he had planned.

The team achieved their third five-game winning streak of the season, bringing their record to a season-high 15 games over .500 and narrowing the gap with the second-place Seibu Lions to two games. 'I'm glad I could contribute,' Castro said, savoring the joy of his clutch hit.