A day after his two-run home run brought the SoftBank Hawks from behind to win, Kensuke Kondo capped a two-run ninth-inning rally with an RBI double in a 2-1 walk-off win over the Seibu Lions on Sunday.
Trailing 1-0 in the ninth at Mizuho PayPay Dome, Ukyo Shuto singled, stole second and scored the tying run on Yuki Yanagita's one-out single. With one out and runners on first and second, Kondo ended it with a deep fly ball, sending the Pacific League leaders to their fourth straight win.
"Ukyo got on and Yuki tied it, so I just wanted to get this game over with," Kondo said. "Compared with yesterday, I was quite relaxed."
"Their outfield was pulled so far in that I was only trying to get it in the air."
Rookie Lions lefty Natsuki Takeuchi took a shutout bid into the ninth inning but turned the ball over to reliever Albert Abreu (1-3) with Shuto on first. Abreu allowed two hits and hit a batter en route to taking the loss.
In other action on Sunday, Orix closer Yoshihisa Hirano blew a two-run ninth-inning lead before the Buffaloes beat the Rakuten Eagles 3-2 in 10 innings. Hirano is one save away from 250 in Japan.
Yakult's 44-year-old lefty Masanori Ishikawa (0-1) allowed four runs in three-plus innings, failing in his bid to register a win in each of his first 23 pro seasons in the Swallows' 7-2 loss to the Central League-leading Hanshin Tigers.
