◆ Pacific League Rakuten 3-6 Lotte (2nd, Rakuten Mobile)
Rakuten infielder Luke Voit, who was starting line-up to the first team that day and started as the sixth batter and designated hitter, hit his first two-run homer over the left field fence in his third at-bat with one out and a runner on first base in the seventh inning. He hit breaking ball hard and said, "The moment I hit it, I had the feeling it would go into the stands, it would go over wall." He immediately showed his true ability, having won the American League Home Run title with 22 home runs in the 2020 season, which was shortened to 60 games due to the COVID-19 pandemic while playing for the Yankees. Looking back on the loud cheers from the stands, Voit said, "I could hear them, and that moment was truly special."
He arrived in Japan on June 22nd. This was his debut game after playing four games in the farm team. He has played in the Mexican League for the past two years, and said, "It's been a long time since I've played in front of so many fans, so to be honest, I was nervous at first." He struck out three pitches in his first at-bat with two outs in the second inning. In his second at-bat as the leadoff hitter in the fifth inning, he hit a sharp ball that bounced once over the left bounce wall, but was tagged out while aiming for second base (recorded as a single to left field). In his fourth at-bat with one out in the ninth inning, he hit a single to right field that broke through the gap between first and second base. It was a great debut, with three At Bat four hit and two RBI.
Manager Miki also expressed his expectations, saying, "It was a very good batting performance. I hope that he will continue to be a strong force for the team." Voight, who expressed his enthusiasm by saying, "I think my job is to bring in a lot of RBI. I hope I can continue to contribute to the team," will continue to use his natural power to energize the team.
Related News
・【Match Details】Rakuten―Lotte
・ [Rakuten] Daisuke Nakashima 3 runs in the first inning & Tatsuki Koja 6 innings 1 runs Consecutive wins thanks to the performance of the second-year duo
・ [Rakuten] Stop losing streak at 4 Coach Hajime Miki praises Ryosuke Tatsumi 's 2 runs that "the first goal was a big theme"
・ [Rakuten] Itsuki Murabayashi tied the game at 2 runs in the bottom of the inning "Let's try to connect somehow"
・ [Lotte] The 32-year-old, who was promoted immediately to No. 4, batted first in his first at-bat of the season "I thought it was my last chance"
