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Kakuta Rips Chiba Lotte for 5 Hits Saturday, March 27th, 2027 It was a good day for the Chiba Lotte Marines as they dumped the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters 6-5 at Ballpark of Nasu College. Despite the loss it was a remarkable day for Fighters Shinji Kakuta, who went on quite a hitting spree with a 5-for-5 barrage. The Hokkaido Nippon-Ham third baseman told reporters afterward, "I have mixed emotions about this game. Getting 5 hits is really something special, but losing the ballgame spoils it to a certain extent. It's sort of like the feeling you get when your mother-in-law drives over a cliff in your new sports car." Quizzed by the press corps about his personal hitting theories, he responded, "I don't have any buzz words. I'm 'not dialed in' or 'in a zone,' as they say. As far as the hitting goes, I try to keep it simple ... try not to overthink it. I try not to look into it too much. Basically the pitcher throws the ball, I try to pick up the spin, then in a split-second decide to try to hit it. Today I picked up the sp in very well." Shinji Kakuta singled in the 1st, hit a two-run home run off Noriaki Ine in the 3rd, doubled in the 5th, singled in the 6th and singled in the 8th. Currently Kakuta has 6 home runs and a .378 batting average. |
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