Taiki Mitsumata won a David-versus-Goliath battle with Japan's Tokyo Olympic ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, singling in the go-ahead run in the Chunichi Dragons' 4-1 interleague win over the Orix Buffaloes on Saturday.
The 30-year-old Mitsumata, who has spent the bulk of his 12 pro baseball seasons toiling in the minors, fouled off three 3-2 pitches from the Buffaloes ace and last year's Sawamura Award winner before breaking a 1-1 eighth-inning tie at Kyocera Dome Osaka.
Yamamoto (5-3) struggled with his control but entered the eighth inning having allowed just one run on two third-inning hits. With two out and two on in the eighth, he surrendered the go-ahead run against Mitsumata, who began his career in the Pacific League with Orix.