Kotaro Kiyomiya's walk-off solo home run lifted the Pacific League to a 3-2 win over the Central League on Tuesday in the first of two Nippon Professional Baseball All-Star games.
The Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters infielder connected on Hiroshima Carp ace Masato Morishita's 1-2 fastball with two outs in the ninth inning as the PL edged a tight game before a crowd of 35,534 at PayPay Dome.
"I'm surprised more than anyone," said Kiyomiya, named the game's MVP, of the first walk-off homer in an All-Star game in 36 years. "I was really looking to hit one. Morishita kept throwing fastballs for me, and I could respond with a full swing."
The CL took the lead in the opening frame after Tokyo Yakult Swallows outfielder Yasutaka Shiomi led off with a single off PL starter Tomohisa Ozaki of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, stole second and came home on a sacrifice fly.
Chunichi Dragons slugger Dayan Viciedo smashed a homer off Taisuke Yamaoka of the Orix Buffaloes in the second for the CL's second run.
But Hotaka Yamakawa of the Seibu Lions, who is leading the PL with 29 home runs, followed suit in the bottom half against Hanshin Tigers' Koyo Aoyagi, who is leading the CL with 11 wins.
Orix infielder Yuma Mune's bases-loaded single plated the PL's second run in the sixth, off Hiromu Ise of the Yokohama DeNA BayStars, before Kiyomiya finished things off in dramatic fashion.