SMBC Japan Series 2026 Game 1: DeNA 1-3 Softbank Hawks (11th extra inning) (24th, Yokohama)

Tied record of 5 consecutive extra inning wins. Softbank Hawks won the extra inning game. This was the 17th extra inning game for the Softbank Hawks in the Japan Series since Game 5 against the Hanshin Tigers last year. Their overall record in such games returned to an even 8 wins, 8 losses, and 1 draw, but they have now won 5 consecutive extra inning games: 2014 Game 4 (win), 2017 Game 6 (win), 2018 Game 1 (draw), 2018 Game 5 (win), last year Game 5 (win), and this year's first game (win). The 5 consecutive extra inning wins is a tied record, becoming the second team to achieve this since The Giants won 5 consecutive extra inning games across 1970 Games 1 and 3, 1973 Game 2, 1976 Game 6, and 1977 Game 3.

Youngest extra inning game-winning hit for H: Shoji (SoftBank) hit a go-ahead doble in the 11th extra inning, which became the game-winning RBI. This was the first game-winning hit in an extra inning since Isami Nomura (SoftBank), who hit a go-ahead Home Run in the 11th inning of Game 5 last year. It was the 8th game-winning RBI in an extra inning for the team since Nomura, but Shoji is 24 years and 0 months old. Shoji became the youngest player to record a game-winning hit in an extra inning for the team, surpassing Yosuke Terada, who hit a game-winning doble in the 10th inning of Game 3 in 1959, and Akira Nakamura, who hit a walk-off 3-run home run in the 10th inning of Game 4 in 2014, both at 24 years and 11 months. (Tomoki Fukuyama)