Martinez allowed a no-run single in the ninth inning, with a strikeout, when his Yomiuri Giants defeated Bay Stars three runs to one.

With this rescue, the Antillean was alone in the runner-up position in the Central League, only behind the host Shinya Matsuyama, who has 11.

The day’s highlights included several Latin American hitters such as the Dominicans Franmil Reyes, Sandro Fabian and Domingo Santana, the Puerto Rican Neftalí Soto and the Venezuelan Jose Osuna.

Reyes went 2-2, with a home run, double, run scored, three runs batted in and two runs batted in in Nippon Ham’s 3×2 win against Seibu, and Fabián went 4-2, with a double, run scored and two runs batted in as Hiroshima overcame Chunichi 9×4.

Meanwhile, Santana was 3-3 with a walk in Yakult’s 5×2 win over Hanshin, where Osuna was 5-3, and Soto was 4-2 with a double, three runs and a pass despite Lotte’s 3×5 loss against SoftBank.

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