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

Softbank Hawks pitcher Yugo Maeda, making his first appearance in the CS, became the winning pitcher after allowing 5 hits and 2 runs (1 earned) over 5 innings. At 21 years and 2 months old, this CS win makes him the youngest in franchise history, surpassing Junpei Takahashi in 2019 (22 years and 5 months). The third-year left-hander, who was a key figure in the team's third consecutive league title with 12 consecutive wins from the start of this season, made a dignified postseason debut.

"I went all out from the start. My pitches were good," he reflected, but in the first inning, he gave up a doble over the left fielder to the lead-off batter Gunji. He allowed the opening run after a difficult start where he gave a Walk to Mizuno. "I became too cautious (after the doble)," he said regretfully. From the second inning onwards, he recovered, saying he "increased the tempo and found my own rhythm." He retired the side in order in the third and fourth innings. In the fifth inning, with a runner on first and no outs, a bad throw by Masaki put him in a major pinch with runners on second and third. Even so, after getting Narama to ground out to third, he struck out Gunji on three pitches. Although he gave up a frustrating go-ahead run on Mizuno's RBI infield hit to second, he did not allow any further runs.

Manager Kokubo praised the persistence in the fifth inning when they allowed minimum runs. He cited it as the reason for the victory, saying, 'Yugo Maeda looked imposing.' Nevertheless, the left-hander demanded a high level from himself, stating, 'I was conscious of not giving up a single run. Giving up that one run at the end shows I am still lacking.' He gave a harsh self-evaluation, saying, 'I need to focus on the final details and be more thorough.' Regarding his first appearance in the Climax Series, he said, 'The atmosphere was great, and I think being able to pitch in that environment will be very beneficial for the future. We have the Japan Series coming up, so I hope to adjust well for that.'

Due to the balance between starting pitcher adjustments and travel schedules, he was unable to participate in the beer-spraying celebration when the team won the league title. Although he is one of the main stars this time, he said with a wry smile, 'I'm already exhausted, so I'd like to go home as soon as possible.' He added, 'I'm just really sleepy right now. The fatigue I'm feeling now is greater than the fatigue during the season,' reflecting the lingering effects of his powerful performance on the mound.