NPB· Season 2026
Franmil Reyés hit two home runs and drove in five runs, Koki Kitayama earned his 10th win, and Nippon Ham Fighters beat Chiba Lotte Marines 6-4 at Es Con Field Hokkaido.
Match Analysis
AI SummaryReyés goes deep twice, Kitayama reaches 10 wins as Fighters hold off Marines 6-4
Franmil Reyés crushed a pair of home runs — a three-run blast in the third and a two-run shot in the fifth — to drive in all five of his team's runs, powering the Nippon Ham Fighters to a 6-4 victory over the Chiba Lotte Marines at Es Con Field Hokkaido on Friday evening.
The win was the Fighters' second straight and improved their season series lead over the Marines to 11-8 with one regular-season meeting remaining. For starter Koki Kitayama, the victory was his 10th of the season (10-3), marking the first time the right-hander has reached double-digit wins in his NPB career.
In front of 30,130 fans at Es Con Field, the game took 2 hours 45 minutes.
How it unfolded
The Marines struck first in the top of the first when designated hitter Yamaguchi launched a solo home run to left — his 26th of the season — off Kitayama for a 1-0 lead.
The Fighters answered emphatically in the third. Mizutani and Seiryu reached on a single and fielder's choice to put runners on the corners, and after a strikeout, Reyés crushed a 3-1 pitch from Kojima deep to centre for a three-run homer, his 28th of the year, putting the home side up 4-1.
Lotte clawed one back in the fifth when Terachi led off with a solo homer to right — his fourth — trimming the deficit to 4-2. But Reyés responded again in the bottom half, this time turning on a pitch from Kojima and depositing it over the left-field wall for a two-run shot, his 29th, to push the lead to 6-2.
The Marines made it interesting in the seventh. After singles by Sato and Yasuda, Yamazaki delivered a two-run single to centre off Kitayama, cutting the lead to 6-4. But the Fighters' bullpen shut the door from there.
The turning point
Reyés's second home run in the fifth inning was the decisive blow. After Lotte had shown signs of life with Terachi's solo shot in the top half, the immediate answer — a two-run homer that extended the lead back to four runs — effectively neutralised the Marines' momentum. Kojima never recovered and was lifted after five innings charged with six earned runs.
Key performers
Franmil Reyés (Fighters) — Player of the Match. 2-for-2 with two walks, two home runs (Nos. 28 and 29) and five RBIs. Every run he drove in proved critical. This was his third multi-homer game of the 2026 season.
Koki Kitayama (Fighters) — W, 10-3. 6.2 innings, 6 hits, 4 earned runs, 1 walk, 9 strikeouts on 106 pitches. Reached double-digit wins for the first time in his NPB career.
Hiroto Yanagawa (Fighters) — Save (20). Worked a clean ninth inning, striking out one, to close out the victory.
Shota Kojima (Marines) — L, 5-8. 5.0 innings, 6 hits, 6 earned runs, 6 strikeouts, 1 walk. Both of Reyés's homers came off his pitches.
By the numbers
The Fighters out-hit the Marines 9-6, and the damage was ruthlessly efficient — Reyés's two swings produced five of the six runs. Lotte struck out 10 times as a team (nine against Kitayama alone) while drawing only one walk. The Fighters' bullpen trio of Shimamoto (0.1 IP), Hori (1.0 IP, 1 K) and Yanagawa (1.0 IP, 1 K) combined for 2.1 scoreless innings.
Home runs
- Yamaguchi (LOT) — solo, 1st inning, off Kitayama (No. 26)
- Reyés (HAM) — 3-run, 3rd inning, off Kojima (No. 28)
- Terachi (LOT) — solo, 5th inning, off Kitayama (No. 4)
- Reyés (HAM) — 2-run, 5th inning, off Kojima (No. 29)
What it means
The Fighters (3rd in the Pacific League) strengthened their position with the win, while the Marines (5th) saw their losing streak continue. Kitayama became the second Fighters pitcher to reach 10 wins this season.
Both teams meet again on Saturday 29 August at Es Con Field Hokkaido for the 20th and final regular-season encounter between these two Pacific League rivals.
Rivalry since 2024
Nippon Ham Fighters vs Chiba Lotte Marines Head to Head Results· 50
Nippon Ham Fighters and Chiba Lotte Marines have met 50 times — Nippon Ham Fighters won 33, Chiba Lotte Marines won 17, with 0 draws. Their rivalry dates back to 2024. Nippon Ham Fighters leads the head-to-head with 33 victories from 50 meetings. A combined 367 goals have been scored across these fixtures, averaging 7.34 per match (221 for the home side, 146 for the visitors). Both teams scored in 40 matches (80%). Over 2.5 goals landed in 46 games (92%), making it a fixture that tends to produce goals. The highest-scoring encounter finished 9–7 in 2026.
Statistics are for informational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
API data: 29 Aug 2026