Yamaguchi's Power Surge Leads Marines to Victory; Tanaka Shines for Giants

Koki Yamaguchi delivered a stellar performance, propelling the Lotte Marines to a 12-10 win against the Rakuten Eagles. The designated hitter, aged 25, was instrumental in the victory, driving in seven runs with three home runs.

Yamaguchi's power display began early. He hit a two-run home run in the first inning, giving his team an initial lead. His performance continued in the fourth inning, where he added two more home runs, one for two runs and another for three runs, contributing significantly to a nine-run inning for the Marines at Zozo Marine Stadium.

Yamaguchi's achievement was particularly notable as he tied a Pacific League record by hitting home runs in four consecutive plate appearances, including a home run from the previous day's game. While Munetaka Murakami of the Yakult Swallows holds the overall Nippon Professional Baseball record with home runs in five straight plate appearances, Yamaguchi's performance was still impressive. Yamaguchi's season home run total now stands at seven.

In other baseball news, Masahiro Tanaka, formerly of the New York Yankees, pitched five innings, allowing only one run, in the Yomiuri Giants' dominant 7-1 victory over the Swallows. This win brought Tanaka within one win of reaching 200 career wins across his time in Japan and the major leagues. Only a select few Japanese pitchers with major league experience, including Hideo Nomo, Hiroki Kuroda, and Yu Darvish, have achieved this milestone.