The manager stormed off the bench and ran out after a two-out walk-off home run in the 12th inning of extra time, ending the longest game that lasted 4 hours and 41 minutes in front of 42,118 spectators

Sep 08, 2024

Okoe hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 12th inning against Yokohama on the 7th. He hit his first walk-off home run in his ninth year as a professional. Photo capture =Miuri Giants SNS

Yomiuri hit 13 hits and scored two runs until the 11th inning of extra time. He played a frustrating game, recording 19 bases. Okoe ended this long game with a walk-off home run after two outs in the bottom of the 12th inning. Photo capture =Miuri Giants SNS

He played as a pinch runner and hit a walk-off home run in his second at-bat. After two outs in the bottom of the 12th inning of extra time, he dramatically won. Before entering the batter's box, the coach, who ordered "Attack for a shot", kicked the dugout and ran to the ground. It happened at Tokyo Dome on the 7th.

The Yomiuri Giants had 13 hits against the Yokohama BayStars until the 11th inning of overtime. He scored two points and had 19 leftovers. It is the largest backlog in one game this year. He continued to create scoring chances, but turned to lack of concentration.

He was scoreless with two outs in the first inning, two outs in the second inning, one out in the third inning, and two outs in the fifth inning. After two outs in the sixth inning, trailing 0-1, No. 1 Maru Yoshihiro hit a one-run home run to tie the score.

In the seventh inning, Shogo Asano hit a fly ball to right field and Makoto Kadowaki hit a grounder to the pitcher. In the eighth inning, he also lost a chance to get on the second and third bases with two outs. No. 4 Kazuma Okamoto struck out swinging.

He tied the game after two outs in the ninth inning, trailing 1-2. Pinch hitter Raito Nakayama hit a timely hit to the right with two outs and runners on the first and second bases to extend the game.

In the 10th inning of extra time, the chance for first and second bases with one out was eliminated, and in the 11th inning of extra time, it ended with three outs. There is no runner with two outs in the 12th inning of extra time at 2-2. A 2-2 draw was in sight.

No. 3 Okoe Louis (27) solved the game, which could have remained a big disappointment. Yokohama right-hander Jihaya Sasaki pulled a fastball on the first pitch and sent it over the left fence at Tokyo Dome. He didn't miss a 141km/h pitch that came into the middle of the strike zone.

It was 'one shot' that Yomiuri's home fans waited for. With 42,118 spectators entering, the game ended for 4 hours and 41 minutes. It was the longest game this season.

Coach Abe Yomiuri, who rushed out of the dugout when Okoe hit a walk-off home run in the 12th inning of overtime. Photo capture =Miuri Giants SNS

It was his first walk-off home run in his ninth year as a professional. He hit his first home run of the season against the Hanshin Tigers on Aug. 1 and started his cannon 37 days later. Okoe said in a post-match interview that `I had the intention of aiming at it. The ball was blocked a little bit, but I'm glad it was a home run."

Okoe, who entered the eighth inning on a logarithmic basis, made a sacrifice bunt in his first at-bat in the 10th inning of extra time.

He deserved confidence at the plate. Okoe was particularly strong against Sasaki. Until the game, he had five hits in five at-bats against Sasaki, a phenomenal hit.

On this day, the two teams deployed 15 pitchers (8 in Yokohama and 7 in Yomiuri). Yomiuri, who won his sixth walk-off victory of the season, remained in first place, one game ahead of Hiroshima Carp. Hiroshima and Hanshin, who are competing with Yomiuri for first place, both won.

Okoe, a utuuta outfielder, joined the Rakuten Eagles as a rookie in 2016. He was not big in Rakuten and moved to Yomiuri after an active draft last year. He started in the opening game last season, but started in the second division this year. He only played in 53 games, falling behind in the competition to become a starting player in the outfield.

Okoe, who returned to the first team at the end of July, is mainly playing as a pinch hitter. On the 7th, he played as a substitute in the eighth inning against Yokohama, hitting a sacrifice hit in the 10th inning and a walk-off home run in the 12th inning. Photo capture =Miuri Giants SNS

Okoe, who was listed in the first team in April, was removed from registration on June 8. Since returning to the first team on July 26, he has mainly been playing as a pinch hitter. He had a batting average of 255-26 hits, two homers, and four RBIs until the 7th.

Reporter Min Chang-ki huelva@sportschosun.com

huelva@sportschosun.com