Koki Yamaguchi of the Lotte Marines hits a two-run home run in the first inning of a Pacific League baseball game against the Rakuten Eagles on Aug. 21, 2025, at Zozo Marine Stadium in Chiba. (Kyodo)
CHIBA, Japan (Kyodo) — Koki Yamaguchi hit three home runs to drive in seven runs, leading the Lotte Marines to a 12-10 victory over the Rakuten Eagles on Thursday.
The 25-year-old designated hitter tied a Pacific League record by homering in four consecutive plate appearances, including one in the previous day’s game.
After his two-run blast gave the home team a 2-0 lead in the opening frame, Yamaguchi hit another two-run shot and a three-run homer in the same nine-run fourth inning at Zozo Marine Stadium.
Munetaka Murakami of the Central League’s Yakult Swallows holds the Nippon Professional Baseball record with home runs in five straight plate appearances in his Triple Crown-winning 2022 season.
Yamaguchi, who raised his season home run total to seven, struck out in his only other at-bat of the night.
Among the day’s other games, former New York Yankees ace Masahiro Tanaka (2-1) threw five innings of one-run ball in the Yomiuri Giants’ 7-1 rout of the Swallows, putting himself within one win of 200 for his combined career in Japan and the major leagues.
Only Hideo Nomo, Hiroki Kuroda and Yu Darvish have achieved the feat among Japanese pitchers with experience in the majors.