SMBC Japan Series 2026 Game 4: Softbank Hawks 4-2 DeNA (28th, Mizuho PayPay)

The Softbank Hawks defeated DeNA with four consecutive wins to secure their 13th Japan Series title and their second in a row. This marks back-to-back Japan Series championships following last year's victory over the Hanshin Tigers with four wins and one loss. Manager Kokubo was tossed into the air nine times during the victory celebration.

In the fourth game, catcher Yudai Yamamoto, who was acquired via trade from DeNA in May, was highly active, recording 3 RBI including a game-tying two-run triple. The team demonstrated their clutch performance with their third consecutive comeback victory, securing a decisive four-game winning streak. Although the starting pitcher Yu Maeda allowed a two-run home run to Sano in the first inning to give up the lead, they made a brilliant comeback. In the eighth inning, Hiroki Matsumoto, who had failed in his previous two appearances and the All-Star game, held the opponent to zero runs, and finally, the closer Sugiyama shut the door.

This marks the first time in history that a team has won the Japan Series with a perfect 7-0 record throughout the postseason (PS), including the Climax Series (CS). While the Softbank Hawks previously achieved a championship with six consecutive wins in 2020 (2 wins and 0 losses in the CS, 4 wins and 0 losses in the Japan Series) when the CS was shortened due to the impact of COVID-19, this is the first time a team has become the best in Japan with an undefeated streak of seven or more games.

This season, the Softbank Hawks won the Pacific League title with an 11.5-game lead over the second-place Seibu Lions. They displayed overwhelming strength with 42 games over .500. Because they finished with a lead of 10 games or more, they were granted a 'two-win advantage' in the Climax Series, a rule introduced this season. In the final stage, which became a race to five wins, they demonstrated a clear difference in power by winning three consecutive games against Nippon-Ham, who had advanced from the first stage, finishing with a record of 5 wins and 0 losses including the advantage.

The Japan Series became a close contest, going into extra innings for three consecutive games starting from the first game for the first time in history, but the team demonstrated their clutch performance here as well. In the second game, they tenaciously caught up to a tie in the ninth inning, and Kawamura, who had only one career Home Run, hit the game-winner. In the third inning, they brought the game back to a draw with Makihara's tying hit with two outs in the ninth, and Masaki, who made a leap forward this season, settled it with a walk-off arch. They won four straight games in one go after reaching the series point to become the champions of Japan. The home stadium was enveloped in loud cheers.