2026 Persol Climax Series Pacific League Final Stage Game 2: Softbank Hawks 6-2 Nippon-Ham (15th, Mizuho PayPay)

The Softbank Hawks won two games in a row, putting them one step away from reaching the Japan Series. In the ninth inning with the score tied 2-2, Kurihara hit a walk-off grand slam with the bases loaded. After Kondo was given an intentional walk right in front of him, the number four hitter showed his determination.

The starting pitcher Uwasawa gave up two runs in the first inning. However, he recovered from the second inning onwards, allowing four hits and two runs over six innings to hand over the game to the relief pitchers while tied. The offense rallied in the third inning starting with a triple to center by the lead-off hitter Shoji, equalizing the score with Masaki's RBI doble and Kondo's RBI hit. Shoji also reached base as the lead-off hitter in the ninth inning with a shortstop infield hit, sparking the dramatic conclusion.

The following are the main questions and answers from Manager Hiroki Kokubo after the game.

—Kurihara decided it.

"As expected, seeing the number four hitter get an intentional walk right in front of him must have fired him up; it was truly a wonderful walk-off home run."

As the number four batter, those feelings naturally come out.

I'm playing, but results don't come that easily. It's truly impressive that he could decide the game there. While he was in a situation where he could wait for a pitch to hit a sacrifice fly, he ended up putting it right into the stands.

—Shoji broke the ice

Including that first triple, and considering his performance yesterday, I'm starting to think he might be the lucky boy of this short series. In the previous inning, even if it had come down to two outs with the bases loaded, I wasn't going to send in a pinch hitter; I was determined to let him take the at-bat. I hope he continues to perform well like this throughout the series.

—Connecting from Shoji three times

Uwasawa seemed to have trouble getting a grip on the ball in the first inning since it was his first appearance in a while. However, after that, he performed well as a closer by holding them to zero, which was impressive. Of course, Shoji's triple was significant, but the main reason for the victory was that Uwasawa recovered well.

—The relief pitchers as well

"It feels like 'today as well,' doesn't it? If it had gone to an extra inning, we would have had no choice but to use Hernandez, Tsumori, and Suzuki again. In that sense, being able to settle it in the ninth inning will be beneficial for tomorrow and beyond."

—Yanagita, who had neck pain, returns to the starting line-up

I'm swinging without any concern for my neck. Isn't that enough?

—Are you in a condition to be in the starting line-up tomorrow as well?

"yes"

—What about the relief pitcher's three consecutive appearances?

I will talk about this with the pitcher coach.

—One win away from the Japan Series

Anyway, I am only thinking about winning three times, so I want to prepare for that.

Last year, we suffered consecutive losses after reaching match point. This time, I want to finish it all at once.

That must be so. That is true.