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

Softbank Hawks pitcher Yugo Maeda left the mound after five innings, allowing five hits and two runs while recording three strike outs.

In the first inning, after allowing the lead-off batter Gunji a doble over the left fielder and letting Mizuno reach on a Walk to put runners on first and second with no outs, he gave up a timely hit to right field to Kotaro Kiyomiya with two outs, allowing the opening run. He did not allow any runs from the second to the fourth inning. In the fifth, after allowing the lead-off batter Yamagata an infield hit to second base, the first baseman Masaki made a bad throw to second on Tamiya's ground ball, leading to a crisis with runners on second and third and no outs. Although he managed to get two outs by inducing Narama into a ground ball to third and getting Gunji to swing and be struck out, he gave up a timely infield hit to second base to Mizuno, temporarily allowing the opponent to take the lead.

Nevertheless, Masaki hit a go-ahead two-run home run in the following attack. Maeda Yuu secured the right to become the youngest player in club history to earn a win in the Climax Series (at 21 years and 2 months old), and handed over the mound to the second pitcher, Suzuki Go, starting from the sixth inning with a one-run lead.