Roki Sasaki returned, but needed plenty of help from his friends, as Lotte handed Seibu an unwanted record, while Nippon Ham and Orix played power ball on a day that completed Central League sweeps week.

Looking ahead to Friday, Yusuke Nomura, who holds the NPB record for most starts without a relief appearance, will make his first start of the year for the Carp, while Carter Stewart Jr. will go for his fifth straight quality start and fifth straight winning decision for the Hawks.

Thursday’s games:

Fighters 7, Buffaloes 6: At Kitahiroshima Tax Payers Burden Field, there may have been a home run promotion in Hokkaido on Thursday, because they were everywhere, ending with Yuya Gunji‘s ninth-inning walk-off blast.

Both teams combined for seven homers, Gunji’s made necessary when Orix’s Ryoto Kita led off the Buffaloes’ seventh with his third career homer. Nippon Ham opened the scoring on Kotaro Kiyomiya‘s solo shot in the first. Kazunari Ishii homered to lead off the Fighters’ two-run second, but Orix took a 5-3 lead in the third. Kita singled in a run before Tomoya Mori and Leandro Cedeno homered back to back.

Kiyomiya doubled to lead off the Fighters’ third and scored on a sacrifice fly to make it a one-run game before Ariel Martinez‘s two-run homer in the fifth restored the Fighters’ lead.

Drew VerHagen started for the Fighters and allowed five runs in three innings. Another former Fighter, Kosei Yoshida allowed two runs in two innings of relief for the Buffaloes.