Nippon Professional Baseball’s Nippon Ham Fighters’ Chusei Mannami hit a leadoff home run in the first inning and a walk-off home run in the ninth.

Mannami started in right field against the SoftBank Hawks on Saturday at Escon Field in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan.

He went 2-for-5 with two doubles, a home run, and three RBIs in a 3-1 victory. It was only the second time in Nippon Professional Baseball history that a player hit a leadoff home run and a ninth-inning home run in the same game.

According to Japanese media outlet Daily Sports, “It is the second such feat in NPB history and the first in the Pacific League. It was the first such feat in 30 years since Junichi Powell did it on Oct. 13, 1993, against Yakult.”

In the bottom of the first inning, Mannami fouled off four straight fastballs in a two-pitch, one-strike at-bat against SoftBank starter Shuta Ishikawa. He took an eight-pitch curveball (127 mph) over the right field fence for a leadoff home run (his 21st of the season). First career first-inning leadoff home run.

Mannami singled to right field with runners on first and second in the second inning, led off the fifth inning with a single and was thrown out at third on a grounder to shortstop with two outs in the seventh.

With the score tied 1-1 in the bottom of the ninth, SoftBank sent closer Osuna to the mound. Leadoff hitter Torai Fushimi grounded out to second base. Ryota Isobata followed with an infield single to third base on a 153-kilometer fastball. 바카라사이트

With the bases loaded and one out, Mannami lined a 153-kilometer fastball from Osuna over the left field fence for a grand slam home run (his 22nd of the season). It was a big hit that you knew was a home run the moment you saw it, a home run that landed on the second level of the outfield bleachers. It was his first career grand slam.

It was the second home run of the season and the second loss for Oh Soo-na, who had a 0.63 ERA before the game.

In his postgame interview, Mannami said, “It was the best feeling. I had goosebumps when I was running around the bases. I was running around the bases with excitement,” she said. “They’ve been using me as a leadoff hitter, so I wanted to do something, so I’m happy,” he said.

Nippon Ham manager Tsuyoshi Shinjo has been using Mannami, who is in contention for the home run title, as the leadoff hitter since the last three games against the Orix. The idea is to give him a chance to hit one more home run. With 22 home runs, Mannami is two behind the league leader Lotte Polanco (24).

Shinjo said after the game, “Isobata’s bunt single (in the ninth inning) ignited Mannami, and that’s teamwork. It was a good lineup. Kato also did a great job with good pitching.” Starting pitcher Takayuki Kato pitched seven innings, allowing one run on five hits with eight strikeouts.