Ariel Martínez hit his second homer of the campaign and striked a single in five at-bats, while also driving in two runs in the 4-run tie in 12 innings between the Nippon Ham Fighters and the SoftBank Falcons at Es Con Field in Hokkaido. The first baseman, who went yard for the second time in three games, raised his average to .170 and his RBI total to eight.
Raidel Martínez picked up his seventh save of the season after striking out two of the three batters he faced in a perfect inning of relief during the Chunichi Dragons’ 2-0 victory over the Yakult Swallows. The right-hander from Pinar del Río, Cuba now has totaled 10 outings without conceding a score this season. His ERA remained at 0.00 and he leads the Central League in saves.
Río Gómez tossed a scoreless inning in relief during Wei-Chaun’s 12-3 win over the TSG Hawks. The left-hander from Miami notched his fourth hold of season and his ERA fell to 3.27. In 11IP this season Gómez has struck out 12. The southpaw has been one of the most effective reliever on the Taiwanese’s squad pitching staff and is tied for the league lead in holds.
土壇場で追いつく！😲 👀
北海道日本ハム #マルティネス 選手の今シーズン第2号同点2ランホームラン！😭 💪 #lovefighters@AMartinez_CD57👇ライブ配信こちら！https://t.co/3FPiKX4GOl pic.twitter.com/ZBfxbtVjcV
— パ・リーグ.com / パーソル パ・リーグTV【公式】 (@PacificleagueTV) April 17, 2024
Cuban action on the day:
NPB:
Ariel Martínez (NH) 5-2,HR,2RBI,R
Raidel Martínez (CD) 1.0IP,0H,0ER,2K
Carlos Moiner (CD) 1-0**
Christian Rodríguez (CD) 3-2,2RBI**
KBO:
Roenis Elías (SSG) 5.0IP,6H,5ER,2BB
Guillermo Heredia (SSG) 5-0
CPBL:
Río Gómez (WC) 1.0IP,0H,0ER,K*
*Cuban-American
** Minor leagues