2026 Persol Climax Series Pacific League Final Stage Game 3: Softbank Hawks 6-2 Nippon-Ham (16th, Mizuho PayPay)

Nippon-Ham suffered three consecutive losses to the Softbank Hawks and failed to advance to the Japan Series. It was a humiliating defeat as they lost to the Softbank Hawks in the Climax Series Final Stage for the third consecutive year at the opponent's home ground in Fukuoka.

After the game, Manager Shinjo looked back on the season and expressed his frustration, saying, 'Sixteen games over .500 is usually the line for winning the championship. But in this world, it doesn't mean anything unless you win in the end.' The team finished in third place with 78 wins, 62 losses, and 3 draws, suffering a complete defeat to the Softbank Hawks, who recorded 91 wins and finished 42 games over .500.

Regarding the offensive lineup, he called for consistency in their form, stating, 'If batters keep changing their batting form just because they are in a slump, their performance will end up the same every year. I think it's important to have the mindset of sticking with a chosen form once you've decided on it.'

Regarding his own management, he looked ahead to next season, saying, 'It was my mistake in the pitching changes, and while I sent out the players in the starting line-up with confidence, it was my fault for using players who couldn't hit the pitcher or made errors. I need to study more, but the players I sent out with confidence must improve their individual stats. The season ended today, but the players start again tomorrow; they have to raise their individual levels. Their salaries won't go up otherwise. I think there are some players who performed well this year, but there will also be those whose pay goes down, and they must be frustrated. I want them to spend the off-season with the mindset of wanting to increase their own salary.'