◆Nippon Life Interleague Series 2026: Nippon-Ham 4-2 DeNA (10th, ES CON FIELD)

throw After driving the ball into the gap near second base, Nippon-Ham, Shun Mizutani, and outfielder (25) leaped high into the air, bursting with joy. With the game tied in the seventh inning, one out, and runners on second and third, he connected with a hanging pitch from Nakagawa Tora at fork and drove the ball through the left-side gap.It was a game-winning two-run single to left field. “Mentally, I felt like I could hit today. I had a feeling I’d be standing on the podium,” he said proudly.

In the fifth inning, he signaled his return with a confident walk. He returned on the 9th after fracturing his left wrist. In the fifth inning, with two outs and no runner on base, trailing by one run, he hit a game-tying solo home run to left-center field off a curveball from DeNA starter Yu Ishida. The moment he hit the ball, he began to walk slowly, and he laughed, "I was aiming for the curveball. I was so sure of it (laughs). I was totally trying to look cool."

He truly lived up to his reputation as an interleague player. In 2024, he had a breakout season, recording the highest batting average in interleague play at .438. Last season, after being sent down to the minor leagues due to poor performance, he returned to the first team for interleague play and delivered results with a .300 batting average, 3 Home Run, and 5 RBI. Manager Shinjo had been eagerly awaiting his return, saying, "Mizutani is an interleague player," and he responded to the opportunity in his second game back with a strong performance. He predicted an even bigger explosion in his career, saying, "It's not so much about interleague play, but about the timing. I have the image that I'll improve from here on out."

The team achieved its first six-game winning streak in approximately two years, since August 2024. This six-game winning streak in interleague play within a single season is the first in 15 years, since 2011. Manager Shinjo nodded, saying, "If we score first, we've developed a winning habit, so we're in a winning mood." While the gap with the top teams remains wide in the interleague series, which favors Pacific League, they are determined to maintain their momentum and stay competitive. (Yasushi Yamaguchi)