Chiba Lotte Marines hold retirement games for Karakawa and Tsunenaka

The Chiba Lotte Marines held retirement ceremonies for long-time players during recent games at ZOZO Marine Stadium. On October 2, outfielder Katsuya Tsunenaka played his final game, marked by a tribute from the nearby APA Hotel & Resort Tokyo Bay Makuhari, which illuminated the number ‘3’ in its windows to honor his jersey number.

On October 3, pitcher Yuki Karakawa concluded his 19-year career with a final start against the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. Karakawa, known for his signature cutball, ended his career by striking out Tomoya Masaki with that pitch. Following his exit, his teammate and friend, Masuda, took the mound to complete a planned relief relay.

The game itself resulted in a walk-off victory for the Marines. SoftBank pitcher Haru Matsumoto, who was contending for both the wins and winning percentage titles, surrendered a tying home run to Ueda in the 8th inning. In the bottom of the 9th, Yamaguchi hit a walk-off home run against SoftBank's Matsumoto Yu, ending the game 2-1 and halting SoftBank's seven-game winning streak.