Ryoya Kurihara hits 40th home run as SoftBank nears 90 wins

Ryoya Kurihara of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks hit his 40th home run of the season during a game against the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles on October 1. This achievement places him on the verge of becoming the first player from Fukui Prefecture to claim the home run title since 1937.

Kurihara, who also serves as the players' association president, has recorded 118 RBIs this season and is a strong contender for a dual title in home runs and RBIs. His performance contributed to the SoftBank Hawks reaching 90 wins for the season.

In the same matchup, Rakuten rookie Itsuki Ito suffered his first professional loss, pitching six innings and allowing five runs in a 3-6 defeat against the Chiba Lotte Marines. The loss follows Rakuten's confirmation of a sixth-place finish for the season, their lowest since 2018.