Munetaka Murakami hit his 56th homer of the season in the Yakult Swallows' final game of the regular season against the DeNA BayStars on Monday, breaking a tie with Japan's career home run leader Sadaharu Oh, Tuffy Rhodes and Alex Cabrera for lone second on the all-time single-season home run list.
The 22-year-old slugger blasted a solo shot to right in the seventh inning off Taisei Irie at Jingu Stadium after going without a home run for 13 games. Murakami hit his 54th and 55th on Sept. 13 for the CL champion.
Wladimir Balentien holds Nippon Professional Baseball's record of 60 that he hit for the Swallows in 2013. Oh hit 55 home runs for the Yomiuri Giants in 1964 before being matched by Rhodes of the then Kintetsu Buffaloes in 2001 and Cabrera of the Seibu Lions in 2002.
