What kind of monster hitter is this? No home run in 23 games in June → 13 home runs in 19 games in the second half, leading the gap in the top three home runs
Aug 16, 2024
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Yamakawa hit another home run. He hit his 27th home run of the season in a home game against the Chiba Lotte Marines at Fukuoka Dome on the 16th. He hit three home runs against the Seibu Lions the day before and activated his cannon for two consecutive days.
Softbank led the flow from the beginning with two home runs. In the bottom of the first inning, No. 3 Tatsuru Yanagimachi hit a two-run home run against Chiba Lotte right-hander Ayumu Ishikawa. a home run in two consecutive games. Yamakawa then responded with a one-run home run. He hit a cut fastball that came into the low course outside off 1B and flew it over the left fence.
The ball flew at 182 kilometers per hour and fell to 133 meters. It was an extra-large home run that made the opposing pitcher feel intimidated.
Softbank, which won a complete 4-0 victory, widened the gap with the second-place Nippon Ham Fighters to 12 games. Softbank starter Kohei Arihara pitched nine shutout innings for the second time of the season. He was sluggish with six runs in three innings against the Rakuten Eagles on the 10th, but he recovered his pride as an ace.
Yamakawa hit 24-26 in an away game against his former team Seibu the day before. He hit two-run home runs in the 1, 5, and 7th innings, respectively. In the last game of the Veruna Dome this season, he hit three home runs and six RBIs in one game for the first time in seven years.
For Yamakawa, his former team Seibu is a team of love and hatred. He joined as a two-time rookie in 2014 and played for Seibu for 10 years until last year. He has grown into a center hitter and ranked first in home runs in the Pacific League three times in 2018-2019 and 2022. All three times, he has more than 40 home runs.
However, it fell into the abyss last year due to allegations of sexual assault. The Seibu club has been suspended. He played 17 games at the beginning of the season and was removed from his registration. He had 15 hits and five RBIs without a home run. He joined the team with a non-prosecution, but the first team opportunity was mainly
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Softbank, which is aiming to win the championship in four years, reached out to Yamakawa, who became an FA (free agent). Yamakawa did not look back. It signed a four-year, two billion yen contract, including incentives.
Seibu home fans booed when he found Verunadom as Softbank's fourth batter. Yamakawa hit back-to-back grand slams in the sixth and eighth innings of Seibu's away game on April 13. He clearly showed his presence in front of his old home fans.
It's a scary home run pace in the hot summer. He hit eight home runs in the last eight games until the game against the Chiba Lotte Giants on the 16th. He hit 13 in 19 games in the second half. It's a phenomenal home run production capability.
He swung hard at the beginning of the season and then slowed down from late May to early July. In June, he played in 23 games and had no home runs. Yamakawa eventually returned to his position as manager Hiroki Kokubo believed.
Last year, when Yamakawa did not operate normally, the Pacific League did not have a 30-homer hitter. Kondo Kenske (Softbank), Gregory Polanco (Chiba Lotte), and Hideto Asamura (Rakuten Eagles) hit 26 and tied for first place in home runs.
When Yamakawa survived, the game changed. With 37 games left, he exceeded his most home runs last year. The pace is so good that there is no unusual
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In the Central League, Murakami Munetaka (Yakurt Swallows) is in first place with 21 hits. Taylor Austin and Maki Shugo (hereinafter, Yokohama BayStars) hit 19 and 18, respectively, ranking second to third.
huelva@sportschosun.com
