Yakult's Yamada Hits Walk-Off Home Run to Beat Chunichi
Listen to the story
Tetsuto Yamada plays baseball for the Yakult Swallows. He hit a walk-off home run. This means his team won the game right after his hit. It was his third walk-off home run in seven years.
The game was against the Chunichi Dragons. It was a very exciting and close game. Young Swallows players helped their team play well.
The Chunichi manager, Inoue, talked about the last inning. His team lost in the ninth inning. He said he chose his best pitcher, Hashimoto, from the bullpen.
Former Yakult manager Koki Takatsu also talked about the game. He loves watching his old players. He watched the game live and got very excited. He said Munetaka Murakami hit home runs too. Yamada's walk-off hit made him very happy.
Vocabulary15 words
- walk-off home run
- a hit that ends the game right away with a win
- inning
- one part of a baseball game
- bullpen
- the place where relief pitchers wait
- manager
- the person who leads a sports team
- pitcher
- a player who throws the ball
- exciting
- making you feel happy and interested
- team
- a group of players who play together
- hit
- when a player hits the ball with a bat
- score
- the points in a game
- win
- to be the best in a game
- lose
- to not win a game
- former
- someone who had a job before, but not now
- live
- happening now, in real time
- close game
- a game where both teams almost win
- young
- not old
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Quiz
Answer key
1. Tetsuto Yamada 2. Three 3. True
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Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Tetsuto Yamada plays baseball for the Yakult _____.
He hit a walk-off _____ run.
It was his third walk-off home run in _____ years.
The game was against the Chunichi _____.
It was a very exciting and _____ game.
The Chunichi manager, _____, talked about the last inning.
He said he chose his best pitcher, _____, from the bullpen.
Former Yakult manager Koki Takatsu also talked about the _____.
Munetaka _____ hit home runs too.
Yamada's walk-off hit made him very _____.
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