2026 PERSOL Climax Series Pacific League First Stage Game 3: Seibu Lions 1-4 Nippon-Ham (12th, Belluna Dome)

Nippon-Ham won the third game of the 2026 Persol Climax Series Pacific League (CS) First Stage (S) against the Seibu Lions. After being on the brink of elimination following a loss in the first game, they secured two consecutive wins to become the first team in the Pacific League to advance to the Final Stage for three consecutive years. In a complete turnaround from the previous day's series of errors, Manager Tsuyoshi Shinjo (54) displayed precise tactical command, keeping the Seibu Lions at bay. In the Central League, DeNA broke through, resulting in the first-ever occurrence of the same matchups in the Final Stage for both leagues for two consecutive years. With a spot in the Japan Series on the line, they will take on the Softbank Hawks starting from the 14th at Mizuho PayPay Dome.

Nippon-Ham manager Shinjo, who secured a ticket to Fukuoka, breathed a sigh of relief while out of breath. Climbing the long stairs famous at Belluna Dome, he said, 'Everyone did a great job. We lost the first game, won yesterday, and I was wondering what would happen today.' Despite losing the first game, they secured two consecutive wins to advance past the first stage for the third consecutive year, and he smiled broadly.

In a complete turnaround from the second game the previous day, Shinjo's baseball style was brilliant. Although they achieved a win in the game on the 11th, there was a series of base running errors and missed signs. After that game, he even grumbled, "Five mistakes. I'm surprised we won." However, on this day, they took the lead in the second inning with Nomura's RBI hit, followed by a solo home run by Mannami in the fourth and a sacrifice fly by Narama in the fifth to add more runs. By accumulating points through both big plays and small tactics, they kept the second-place Seibu Lions at bay.

They snatched an insurance point through a condensed version of Shinjo's baseball. In the seventh inning with one out and a runner on third while leading 3-1, they executed a fake squeeze on Yamagata's first pitch. The runner on third, Mizuno, showed a starting motion, and the hitter, Yamagata, also took a bunt stance but let the ball pass. Seeing this, the pitcher, Shinohara, hurriedly threw wide to the outside, but the catcher missed the 152 km/h fastball. They scored a point on a wild pitch. 'There was a 70% chance they thought we would do a squeeze. Then, they panicked thinking "here it comes" and messed up the pitch, leading to the point,' he said, indicating everything went exactly as planned.

The manager, who had been saying since the middle of the season that he had '32 different signs,' looked back with satisfaction, saying, 'After all, it's something we've built up. I wondered what the opponent thought Tsuyoshi Shinjo was planning. I went behind their backs, and just when they were wondering if it was the front or the back, today was a bluff.' Throughout this season, he has repeatedly toyed with opponents using bunt-and-runs and fake double steals. In his fifth year in office, the meticulous tactics he has instilled proved effective at a crucial moment in the game.

Starting on the 14th, a battle for the Japan Series against the champions, Softbank Hawks, awaits at their home stadium for the third consecutive year. In 2024, they suffered three straight losses. Last season, they managed to force a deciding game by winning three straight after two losses, but ultimately lost in Game 6. 'Fukuoka again. We don't have time to rest tomorrow, but I want to win quickly for the sake of the excitement,' he said, aiming for the third time to be the charm. Their record this season is 5 wins, 18 losses, and 2 draws. At Mizuho PayPay Dome, they are 1 win and 10 losses, but he is full of spirit, saying, 'We were their prey during the regular season, but things can flip. That's just how it goes.' The champions, who finished more than 10 games ahead of second place, have a two-win advantage. Shinjo's Ham will challenge for an upset that requires five wins in seven games. (Haruki Kawakami)

◆ Interview with Director Shinjo

—Ito pitches well despite two accidents

Ito-kun hurt his lower back a bit when he went to cover first base in the third inning. I think the line drive back to the pitcher in the fifth inning hit his leg and fixed his back. Generally, humans can only feel pain in one place at a time.

—Changed 8 people in the batting order from the previous day

The key points are Narama and Yamagata. They have good swings, and in a series like this, about two key players usually emerge. So, I took Mizuno out. Reyes isn't in very good form either, so I lowered him in the batting order, and in the end, I just lined them up in order of their batting averages.

—The operation was a success.

"If I fail, people will say I've done something unnecessary again. But shut up. I haven't actually failed that much with these kinds of strategies. It's just that because I stand out, a single failure feels like it's been repeated 150 times."