Murakami Munetaka of the Yakult Swallows of the Japanese professional baseball exploded his long hitting power.
Murakami took the lead in escaping from the losing streak by playing an active role as a starting 4th baseman in a home game against the Hiroshima Toyo Carp held at Meiji Jingu Stadium in Japan on the 29th, with 2 hits and 2 RBIs in 3 at-bats. He broke the team’s five-game losing streak by posting two RBIs with a home run and a double.
Murakami, who retired with a ground ball to first baseman in the first inning, fired a solo home run over the left wall after two outs in the fourth inning, which tied the game 1-1. The 18th season with a home run in one week. It came close to Kazuya Okamoto (22) of Yomiuri, the league’s first-place homer, by four.안전놀이터
It was a large home run that left-handed hitter Murakami pushed and landed in the middle of the left outfield stands. “I was able to push it well and the ball flew at a good angle,” Murakami said after the game.
According to Japanese media, Shingo Takatsu, Yakult coach, admired, saying, “Only Murakami can fly that much in the reverse direction.” Fans showed reactions such as “I can’t believe it was a reverse hit” and “Murakami returned last year”.
Murakami’s third at-bat was a 1-out and 3rd base chance in the 6th inning when the score was tied 2-2. He put up with the opposing pitcher’s manned ball well and picked a walk to get on base. The follow-up hitter’s shortstop infield hit put Yakult ahead 3-2.
In the bottom of the 8th inning, which was chased by a point of 4-3, Murakami scored a wedge with a double from the right at first base. Yakult won 5-3.
Murakami, who set the record for the most home runs by a Japanese player last year (56 homers), fell into a slump in April with a batting average of 1.52 (12 hits in 79 at-bats), 1 home run, 10 RBIs, and an OPS of .541 in 24 games.
From May, his batting power gradually recovered as his hitting feeling revived. In May he hit 7 home runs in 24 games, before slowing down again with 3 home runs in 21 games in June. Entering July, he recorded a batting average of 3.1 Lee (22 hits in 73 at-bats) and 6 home runs OPS of .997, gradually regaining last year’s 3-time batting title.
Of course, it is far from last year’s 56 home runs, batting average of 3.18, and 134 RBIs. Murakami has a batting average of .246, 18 homers, 53 RBIs, and an OPS of .829 in 90 games this season.
On the other hand, Yakult starter Ogawa Yasuhiro threw 113 pitches that day, giving up 2 runs in 7 innings and recording his 5th win of the season. He reached 1500 innings in his personal career.