Tokyo Yakult Swallows rookie Munetaka Murakami crushed a fifth-inning grand slam Wednesday as the Central League cellar dwellers overpowered the Hiroshima Carp 6-2.
The blast against Hiroshima starter Casey Lawrence was No. 20 of the season for the 19-year-old Murakami, whose development has been a rare bright spot for the Swallows this year.
Murakami became the first NPB player since Hideki Matsui in 1994 to hit 20 home runs in his second year out of high school.