Shintaro Fujinami has been trying for much of this season to prove that he is worthy of a spot in the rotation. He did little to win over the coaching staff on this night, giving up two runs in the first, loading the bases in the second, and giving the lead right back to the Baystars in the fifth after the bats tied it up. He did not make it through five innings, and was hung with the loss. Meanwhile, the star of 2021 continues to shine brightly. Teruaki Sato established a new club record for home runs by a rookie when he blasted his 23rd of the year in the top of the ninth. He also made an outstanding play in the bottom of the 8th to get the team out of a huge pinch. Unfortunately, the heart of the order (batters 2, 3, 4, who shall remain nameless in this recap) produced 12 outs, going 0-11 with one HBP and a double play. Can’t win ’em all, I suppose.
