For most of the season, Yomiuri Giants infielder Takayuki Terauchi has been the odd man out, relegated mostly to pinch-hitting, running and serving as a defensive replacement. So when he got a rare chance to step into the spotlight, he wasn't about to let it slip away.
With his team in need of a big hit, Terauchi connected on a tiebreaking two-run double to give the Giants the lead in the bottom of the eighth, and this time the Kyojin held on to it for a 5-2 victory over the Hanshin Tigers on Thursday night at Tokyo Dome.
The seldom-used Terauchi, playing in only his 55th game of the season, got the full hero treatment after the game. He was on the postgame hero interview, and driven around the field on a golf cart after that, with the cheerleader at the wheel letting him know where they were headed so he could throw balls to Giants fans in the stands.