◆Nippon Life Interleague Series 2026 Softbank Hawks 3-1 Hiroshima (31st, Mizuho PayPay Stadium)

Softbank Hawks secured their first three-game sweep against the same opponent in two series. With a 5-1 record in six interleague games, they've made a strong start towards winning the championship again.

Starting Hsu Jo-Hsi returned to the first team after undergoing readjustment in the minor leagues following the game against Seibu on Seibu Lions (Belluna Dome).

In the first inning, he allowed a single to the leadoff batter, struck out, and Yamamoto Yu caught Nahara attempting to stolen base second base, putting him in a good position for the second out. He pitched brilliantly, allowing only three hit and no runs over struck out innings, striking out seven batters, earning his second win since his debut win against Rakuten Eagles on April 1st (Rakuten Eagles Mobile). "I was a little nervous pitching in the dome for the first time in a while, and I threw a lot of balls in the first two innings, but I adjusted and was able to pitch as I wanted in the second half," he said with a sigh of relief.

What he worked on in the minor leagues was checking his position on plate. At the start of the season, the back half of his right foot was sticking out towards first base, but on this day pitch towards first base just enough so that his foot was within plate when he pitched. "They can see my release point quite a bit, so I consulted with the coach and made adjustments to eliminate that as much as possible," he said, and closer the Hiroshima lineup to just three hit. Manager Kokubo commented, "He originally had a lot of power in his pitches, so with a little fine-tuning he's back in good shape. (Can you entrust him with the role next week and beyond?) Of course." The Taiwanese treasure has returned to the rotation.