Pacific League Nippon-Ham 7-3 Rakuten (September 20, 2024 Escon F)

Nippon-Ham earned their third straight win thanks to a strong performance by Reyes, who hit two home runs and six RBI, including a 22nd come-from-behind three-run homer. Starting pitcher Verhagen recorded his second win of the season with tenacious pitching, giving up three runs in five innings.

Reyes, who had a great performance with 2 hits and 6 RBI, uttered three consecutive words of “Let’s go” at the start of the game. In the 3rd inning, 1-2, with one out and runners on first and second base, he hit a 22nd three-run homer, coming from behind for the second game in a row.

Reyes explained his thought process during the at-bat, “My first at-bat was passive. I calmly walked into the strike zone and thought I was going to walk away. It was a perfect pitch, and I thought I was going to see the smiles on the faces of the fans as I walked in to bat, so I was really happy.”

He also hit a seventh-inning shot that put the final nail in the coffin. With the score tied 4-3 in the seventh inning with one out and runners on first and second base, he threw the first pitch to Rakuten’s No. 4 batter Fujihei, and the moment he hit it, he knew it was going to be a home run. He hit his second 3-run shot of the game.

Reyes is in great shape with 8 pitches in August and 7 pitches in September. The reason for this is the spirit of fun. “I’m having fun every day like a baseball kid,” he explained.

Advancement to the Climax Series (CS) will be decided as soon as possible on the 22nd, but Reyes looks ahead and says: “Every game is important, but my goal after that is to win the Japan Series.”

Key Stats:

• Reyes: 2 home runs, 6 RBI
• Verhagen: 2nd win of the season, 3 runs in 5 innings
• Nippon-Ham: 3rd straight win

Related Topics:

• Pacific League
• Nippon-Ham
• Rakuten
• Reyes
• Verhagen