SMBC Japan Series 2026 Game 3: Softbank Hawks 2-1 DeNA (10th extra inning, 27th, Mizuho PayPay Dome)

Softbank Hawks (1st in the Pacific League) have moved within one win of consecutive Japan Series titles. This was the first time in Japan Series history that the first three games all went into extra innings. In the 10th inning with the score tied 1-1, outfielder Tomoya Masaki (26) hit his second walk-off solo home run of the series. While DeNA suffered from poor offensive execution, setting a new record with 5 double plays in a single game, the rising star slugger decided the match with a single blow. Extending their winning streak in the championship series to 7 since last year, their total of 69 Japan Series victories is now the most for any team in the Pacific League. DeNA, aiming for an underdog championship victory from 3rd place in the Central League, now has their backs against the wall.

The 22-year-old making his debut in the championship showdown responded to a decisive move. In the bottom of the 9th with two outs and a runner on second, trailing by one run and pushed to the brink, Manager Kokubo made his move. After Kurihara led off with a doble, followed by the reliable Yanagita and Yamakawa getting out, he called for pinch-runner Ihine. 'I had decided that if it came to two outs, I would go with Ihine.' The decision to pull the cleanup hitter, who had 40 home runs this season, set the stage for the drama. On Makihara Dai's hit to right field, the fourth-year young Hawk rounded third and snatched the tying run at home with a head-first slide just in the nick of time.

"I was prepared. I was nervous, but I just focused on running with all my might," said Ihine. Although he is a fast runner with 51 stolen bases over the last two years in the minor leagues, he has only appeared in 9 games in the first team this season. This was his first professional appearance even in the postseason. Such a newcomer ran with confidence. Makihara also concentrated, saying, "I just had the feeling that I would definitely bring him home." Although he had only 1 hit in 10 At Bats up until the second game and had made bunting errors, he secured a three-hit game with a clutch hit at the critical moment.

Despite putting a runner on base in every inning until the 7th, they handed DeNA a new Japan Series record of 5 double plays in a single game. Manager Kokubo, who broke through the difficult situation, praised his players one after another, saying, 'Makihara hit well. Ihine returned home well. The persistence of the starters and relievers made it a thrilling game.' The champion's clutch performance and underlying strength reside in everyone. With his baton believing in that, the summit is right before their eyes. (Osamu Ando)