2026 Persol Climax Series Pacific League Final Stage Game 3: Softbank Hawks vs Nippon-Ham (16th, Mizuho PayPay)

The Softbank Hawks easily came from behind against Shinjo's Fighters, who were on the brink of elimination. In the fifth inning with one out and a runner on second, trailing by one run, outfielder Tomoya Masaki flipped the game with his first home run of the CS. Although he had committed an error during his defense at first base just moments before that led to the opponent taking the lead, he made up for it with his bat.

The champions, who achieved a league-leading 44 comeback wins during the season, showed their true strength in the CS as well. They entered the CS Final Stage (maximum 7-game series, first to 5 wins) with a 2-win advantage. After winning both the first game on the 14th and the second game on the 15th with comeback victories, they reached this match on the verge of advancing to the Japan Series. Last night, with the score tied 2-2 in the 9th inning and one out, Kurihara hit a dramatic walk-off grand slam. They snatched the win with a dramatic shot that made him only the second player in CS history to do so, following Nippon-Ham's Sledge in 2009.

Starting pitcher Yugo Maeda stumbled at the beginning. He faced a crisis after a lead-off doble and a fastball Walk, and with two outs and runners on first and second, he allowed the opening run on a timely hit to right field by Kiyomiya. Although he regained his rhythm afterwards, in the fifth inning with the score tied, an infield hit and a bad throw by first baseman Masaki put him in a crisis with no outs and runners on second and third. With two outs, he allowed the go-ahead run on a timely infield hit by Mizuno. With support from the lineup, he handed the baton to the relief pitchers after five innings with two runs, having earned the right to be the win pitcher.

The left-handed pitcher made his first postseason start. If he becomes the winning pitcher at 21 years and 2 months old, he will surpass Junpei Takahashi, who became the winning pitcher at 22 years and 5 months old in Game 4 of the 2019 final stage against the Seibu Lions, to become the youngest pitcher in club history to record a win in the Climax Series.