Tai Sasaki Delivers Big Hit, Reveals Hilarious “House” Promise From Masato Morishita

Hiroshima Toyo Carp infielder Tai Sasaki delivered one of his biggest performances of the season on August 14, helping Hiroshima defeat the Hanshin Tigers 6-1 at Mazda Stadium.

Sasaki recorded multiple hits and launched his fourth home run of the season, his first since June 28 against Hanshin.

The home run came in the bottom of the fourth inning with Hiroshima holding a 2-0 lead. Facing Tigers starter Yuki Saiki, Sasaki connected on a breaking ball and sent it over the left-field wall.

The home run was particularly satisfying after Sasaki had failed to capitalize on a scoring opportunity in his first at-bat.

“I was disappointed that I couldn't get the job done in my first at-bat with runners in scoring position, so I went into the next at-bat determined to make up for it,” Sasaki said after the game.

However, the home run had an even more interesting meaning because of a promise between Sasaki and starting pitcher Masato Morishita.

Morishita, who earned his sixth win of the season with eight strong innings, was asked about Sasaki's home run during the postgame interview.

“Finally,” Morishita said with a smile. “I was watching and thinking, ‘Finally, he hit one while I was pitching.’”

Sasaki then revealed the reason for Morishita's reaction.

“He's always told me, ‘If you hit a home run when I'm pitching, I'll buy you a house.’ So now he's finally going to buy me one. I'm happy,” Sasaki said, drawing laughter from the crowd.

The lighthearted exchange added another memorable moment to a game that was important for both players.

Morishita not only pitched eight innings while allowing just one run, but also drove in Hiroshima's first run with a single in the second inning. The Carp had gone 24 consecutive innings without scoring before Morishita's RBI hit finally ended the drought.

Sasaki then followed with his fourth home run of the season in the fourth inning, giving Hiroshima an important cushion against the league-leading Tigers.

The young infielder has also been showing signs of a major turnaround at the plate. After batting just .190 through the end of May, Sasaki steadily improved, batting .300 in June and .356 in July. His batting average had climbed to .262 before the game, and his recent improvement has made him one of the more encouraging developments for Hiroshima.

Despite his recent progress, Sasaki remains unsatisfied with his contribution.

“I still haven't contributed enough,” he said. “From here on, I want to keep doing everything I can, one game at a time, to help us win.”

Manager Takahiro Arai also praised the young infielder's development.

“I think he's gradually growing,” Arai said. “That was a really good home run today.”

For Sasaki, the home run was valuable not only because it helped Hiroshima secure a much-needed victory, but perhaps also because it finally triggered Morishita's rather extravagant promise.

Whether the “house” actually arrives remains to be seen.