As soon as Wladimir Balentien’s bat made contact with Daiki Enokida’s fastball there was no doubt: Japan had just crowned a new home run king.
And the new king’s first decree was that his record total wasn’t high enough yet.
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Mission accomplished: Tokyo Yakult's Wladimir Balentien sets a new record for home runs in a single season with his 56th of the year in the first inning of the Swallows' 9-0 win over the Tigers on Sunday. | KYODO -
Just done it: Wladimir Balentien throws his bat in celebration after hitting his 56th home run of the season on Sunday. | KYODO -
Brotherly love: Wladimir Balentien is congratulated by teammates Shinya Miyamoto and Yasuhiro Ogawa after breaking the single-season home run record on Sunday. | KYODO -
One more for luck: Wladimir Balentien extends his newly minted single-season home run record with his 57th of the year at Jingu Stadium on Sunday. | KYODO
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