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

Softbank Hawks decided their third consecutive and Pacific League record 23rd Japan Series appearance with a fastball breakthrough. In the Final Stage, which was the same matchup for three years running, they overcame Shinjo's Nippon-Ham with three consecutive comeback win results, finishing 5-0 including the two-win advantage. Manager Hiroki Kokubo showed a look of relief, saying, 'Last year's final Climax Series game was always in my head, so I wanted to decide it as soon as possible. I am glad we could win it in three.' Last year, after two consecutive wins, Nippon-Ham pushed them to a final game with three straight losses before it was settled in the sixth game.

The relief squad only saw Osuna give up one run in the first game, while the other pitchers allowed no runs. He praised them, saying, 'Because the relievers do not give up runs, the lineup can stay calm and focused on their attack.' On this day, both Matsumoto Hiroki in the 8th and Sugiyama in the 9th pitched for the third consecutive day. He revealed the reasoning behind this strategy, which never occurred during the regular season: 'If it had been a tie, I would have stopped using them. Since the game would be decided if the top of the 12th ended in a tie, I planned to send them in then. Instead, I had decided not to send them in for the 8th if it was a tie, but since we were leading, I sent them in. Sugiyama said during practice that he could go for five consecutive days, so I thought I would just let him go.'

The Japan Series begins on the 24th. Aiming for a second consecutive championship, he tightened the reins, stating, 'I want the players to prepare so they can deliver a strong performance starting from the first game.'