Nippon-Ham Player Bunts Through Pain to Set Up Walk-Off Win
Listen to the story
Yusuke Tamiya plays baseball for the Nippon-Ham team in Japan. He hit a special bunt in a big game.
A bunt is a soft hit in baseball. One month ago, Tamiya hurt his left middle finger doing a bunt. The pitcher was Hernandez.
In this new game, Tamiya faced Hernandez again. He hit a fast ball at 154 km/h. He did a sacrifice bunt. This helps another player move on the field.
Tamiya said, 'I almost cried at the plate. I just used my heart.' His bunt helped the team win.
Nippon-Ham won the game in the end. This is called a walk-off win. It means the home team wins at the very end of the game.
The other team was SoftBank. Their manager is Kobokuro. SoftBank lost after leading by six runs. This was a big comeback for Nippon-Ham.
SoftBank had not lost like this in six years. Kobokuro also talked about a pitcher named Osuna. Osuna lost points in three games. Kobokuro will change his role.
Vocabulary7 words
- bunt
- a soft, short hit in baseball
- km/h
- a way to measure how fast something moves
- sacrifice bunt
- a bunt that helps a teammate move, even if the hitter is out
- walk-off win
- when the home team wins at the last moment of the game
- comeback
- winning after being far behind
- manager
- the person who leads a sports team
- pitcher
- the player who throws the ball in baseball
Quiz
Answer key
1. His left middle finger 2. To help a teammate move on the field 3. False
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Yusuke Tamiya plays baseball for the _____ team in Japan.
One month ago, Tamiya hurt his left middle finger doing a _____.
The pitcher was _____.
He hit a fast ball at 154 _____.
He did a _____ bunt.
Tamiya said, 'I almost cried at the plate. I just used my _____.'
Nippon-Ham won the game with a _____ win.
The other team was _____.
SoftBank lost after leading by six _____.
Kobokuro will change the role of a pitcher named _____.