◆Nippon Life Interleague Series 2026 Chunichi 0-3 Softbank Hawks (June 2nd, Vantelin Dome)

Softbank Hawks secured their second five-game winning streak of the season, tying their longest of the season, and maintained their lead in the interleague standings. Starting pitcher Ryosuke Otsu delivered a masterful performance, allowing only one hit and achieving his first professional shutout game.

From the very first inning, he kept batters off balance by mixing fastballs in the high 140s with cutter, fork, and breaking ball, retiring the side in order for a strong start.Leading off the second inning against cleanup hitter Hosokawa, he recorded his first called strike of the day with a fastball struck out, and his rhythm picked up. He got Ishikawa to ground out to shortstop and Bosler to ground out to second, keeping the heart of the lineup at bay.

In the third inning, with two outs and runners on first and third, Kurihara hit a timely doble to right field to score the first run. In the fifth inning, with two outs and runners on second and third, Kurihara hit a two-run triple to extend the lead to three runs.

Otsu had thrown 60 pitches after five innings. He maintained a perfect pitch through six innings, allowing no runner. However, in the 7th inning, with one out, Tanaka hit a single to left field count 2-2, allowing his first runner. Even so, he kept his tempo and pitched excellently. In the first game of the six-game series, he pitched all three innings by himself, tying Nippon-Ham Ito and Seibu Lions Hikaru Takahashi for his league-leading sixth win.