2026 PERSOL Climax Series Pacific League First Stage Game 1: Seibu Lions 3x-2 Nippon-Ham (10th, Belluna Dome) - 10th extra inning

Seibu Lions infielder Taiga Hirasawa hit a home run in his first career Climax Series at-bat. With one out in the first inning of a 0-0 game, he connected with Arihara's cutter. 'I jammed it a little bit, but I got a good swing on it and I'm glad it stayed fair,' he said. The ball was sucked into the right-field stands amidst a roar of cheers.

"Canny (Canario) got out on the first pitch (a fly ball to left), but I decided to go for it if the ball I was looking for came my way, and it turned out to be the best possible result," he said. His home run in his first Climax Series at-bat was the first since Polanco (Lotte) in Game 1 of the 2023 First Stage, making him the 7th player in history to achieve this feat.

Against Arihara, he had a career average of .250 with 5 hits in 20 At Bats, but this season he has been performing well with 2 hits in 2 At Bats. Responding to his inclusion in the starting line-up as the DH, he said, "I've only hit well this year; until now, the matchup wasn't actually that good, so I'm glad I got a good result in my first plate appearance." This hit energized the team.

Looking ahead to the second game on the 11th, he relaxed his expression and said, 'With Canario hitting a walk-off home run at the end, I think we can gain even more momentum.'