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

The Softbank Hawks have secured their third consecutive Japan Series appearance and a Pacific League record 23rd overall by breaking through with a fastball. In the Final Stage, which featured the same matchup for the third year in a row, they defeated Shinjo's Fighters with three consecutive comeback win, finishing with a 5-0 record including the two-win advantage. Below is Manager Hiroki Kokubo's on-field interview after the game.

-congratulations

"thank you"

—Advancing with three consecutive wins

Moinelo was the starter for the first game as well. While he wasn't in the best condition, the lineup managed a comeback, and yesterday we had a walk-off home run. I came here today with a strong desire to finish it just like this, and I'm glad we were able to get three consecutive wins.

- I decided it in front of the fans at the Mizuho PayPay Dome.

If my memory serves me correctly, I don't think we've lost at Mizuho PayPay since around mid-September, so to all the fans, thank you very much.

—Yu Maeda with a magnificent pitch

He limited the damage to one run after Masaki's error. At that moment, Yugo Maeda looked imposing today, and Masaki, who got a hit right after that, was also incredible.

—Shoji performed well in his first Climax Series.

This series had a lucky boy presence. Hikaru Kawase was also watching for his chance, but he didn't give up that spot. He kept going strong until the very end.

—The relievers, starting with Go Suzuki, fought hard.

"It was the same in the first game. Yuki Matsumoto pitched three games in a row, which didn't even happen during the regular season. Good job."

—Kurihara's performance as the number four hitter

Yesterday, after Kondo was given an intentional walk, he met our expectations in a situation where we needed him to decide the game. It is not easy to produce results like that, but it was an at-bat where I truly felt Kurihara's growth over this past year. (Seeing Kurihara's fist pump) We still have the Japan Series ahead of us, so I told him not to celebrate too much (laughs).

—Heading into the Japan Series

As representatives of the Pacific League, we will play with pride and without any openings. We will do our best starting next week, aiming to become the champions of Japan for the second consecutive year.