◆ "With the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place teams so closely competing, this was a match we really wanted to win."

On the 28th, Softbank Hawks played against Lotte and the game ended in a 3-3 tie after 12 extra inning. They took the lead in the second inning with a three-Home Run by Tomoya Masaki, but were unable to score any further runs after that.

On the Fuji TV ONE program "Pro baseball News 2026" aired on the 28th, MC Tomotaka Sakaguchi said, "It was a game lacking a decisive factor, and Softbank Hawks in particular had several good opportunities but couldn't get that one crucial hit." Commentator Kenji Tomashino added, "Today we had 11 hit and 6 Hit by Pitch, and there were plenty of opportunities in the first half to take a dominant lead. But we only managed to score 3 runs and couldn't maintain that lead. In that sense, if you ask me if we have momentum, I don't feel that much momentum yet." He then pointed out, "With the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place teams so close right now, this was a game we really wanted to win. It's regrettable that we couldn't capitalize on that opportunity."

☆ Cooperation: Fuji TV ONE "Professional baseball News 2026"