Pacific League: Softbank Hawks 14-1 Nippon-Ham (8th, Mizuho PayPay)

He circled the diamond with astonishing speed. In the 8th inning with two outs and the bases loaded while leading by 5 points, Softbank Hawks outfielder Ukyo Shuto (30) pulled a fastball from Kanamura. The ball struck the right-field wall and bounced far, rolling around the outfield. The baseball world's premier speedster sprinted the linear distance of approximately 110 meters in about 14 seconds, muttering "that was tough..." as he ran. "That's just like me," he said with a grin after recording the 9th bases-loaded inside-the-park Home Run in professional baseball history.

The previous 'inside-the-park home run with bases loaded' was recorded on August 20, 1999, by the current manager, Hiroki Kokubo (Daiei). Regarding the first one in about 27 years, the manager reacted while reflecting on those days, saying, 'It must have become a great memory, hasn't it?' Shuto, who said he found out during the game, laughed mischievously while showing respect to his senior, saying, 'I thought I was just following in his footsteps.'

The former player representative recorded his first three-hit game of September, including a two-run shot in the first inning, totaling 6 RBIs. In the third inning, he also showcased a fine catch while crashing into the wall. Then, as if pulled along, the current player representative Kurihara also exploded with two Home Runs in a single game for the first time since the Orix Buffaloes game on July 22nd (Mizuho PayPay). He launched his 35th two-run Home Run, his first in 60 plate appearances, followed by his 36th two-run Home Run to jump into the lead among all 12 teams. His 104 RBIs also became the highest figure for the club since Seiichi Uchikawa recorded 106 RBIs in 2016.

In the 8th inning, the proud batting lineup went on a rampage, scoring 10 runs, the most in a single inning this season. On the defensive side, with a three-run lead in the 7th inning and runners on first and third with one out, the second pitcher, Tsumori, escaped the jam by getting two consecutive batters struck out, shutting down the opponent's momentum for a comeback. Manager Kokubo nodded at the victory where both pitching and hitting clicked, saying, 'Shuto's two-run shot, Kurihara's home run, and Tsumori's fire-extinguishing relief were everything.' The magic number for the championship decreased by one to 13. Toward a third consecutive league title, the champion's march shows no signs of stopping. (Tosei Moriguchi)

Record Note: Shuto (Softbank Hawks) hit a bases loaded inside-the-park Home Run, the 9th in professional baseball history and the 6th in the Pacific League (1 in the single-league era, 2 in the Central League), occurring for the first time in 27 years since current Softbank Hawks manager Hiroki Kokubo (Daiei) recorded one on August 20, 1999, against Nippon-Ham (Fukuoka Dome). The opponent and the stadium were the same as this time. Furthermore, including the predecessor teams, he is the second player in team history to achieve this after Kokubo.