On the 2nd, Softbank Hawks win Seibu 3-1 in their game at Seibu Lions PayPay Stadium. Trailing by one run in the bottom of the 5th inning, Tomoya Masaki hit a two-run single to take the lead, and in the following 6th inning, Ryoya Kurihara hit a solo home run to add a crucial insurance run.

On the CS Fuji TV ONE program "Pro baseball News 2026" aired on the 2nd, Masaki, who hit the game-winning RBI and led his team to win, was featured. Commentator Tomotaka Sakaguchi said, "Up until then, he had been struck out against both off-speed pitches and fastball, and I think he felt that something was not right with the way count had progressed up to that point. In this situation, something could happen if he didn't struck out, so you could see his determination at the plate, being careful of both types of pitches and just trying to make contact no matter how it looked. That's guts."

Commentator Shohei Tateyama reflected, "If the ball continued on that trajectory, it would never be a hit. It wouldn't be a clean hit, so you have to hit it hard and not struck out, that's where guts come in." Program MC Hiroki Nomura commented, "These days, spirit and guts aren't in vogue... but guts are still important, aren't they?"

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