Baseball: Kakunaka walk-off homer lifts Lotte, extends SoftBank skid

Pinch-hitting Katsuya Kakunaka blasted a two-run, walk-off home run as the Lotte Marines won 2-1 to condemn the SoftBank Hawks to their 12 straight defeat in the Pacific League on Monday.

With a runner on first and two outs in the ninth, the 36-year-old veteran pulled a 0-1 fastball to right at Zozo Marine Stadium off SoftBank closer Roberto Osuna (2-1), who played for Lotte last season.

“I could tell (it was going deep) the moment I hit it,” Kakunaka said after his fifth home run. “I can’t hit many homers, to begin with, so I’m happy with whatever ones I get.”

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