The roar of the fans in the stands after the final out could probably be heard all the way to Hiroshima. Very soon, the Yokohama BayStars players will be trying to make their voices heard there as well.
Yokohama's Hiroki Minei, who played in only 11 games during the regular season, was an unlikely hero, hitting a tiebreaking RBI single in the top of the 11th inning, and the game ended when a fly ball by Yomiuri's Shinnosuke Abe died tantalizingly close to the stands in right-center as the BayStars edged the Giants 4-3 in the third and final game of the Central League Climax Series First Stage on Monday.
"This is the biggest hit and the biggest moment of my career so far," said Minei, a third-year player.