◆ Pacific League Softbank Hawks 6-5 Orix Buffaloes (23rd, Mizuho PayPay Dome)

Softbank Hawks This was their second “walk-off” win of the season. With the score tied at 5–5 in the ninth inning with one out bases loaded, pinch hitter Yanagida hit a walk-off that sailed over the center-field wall.

They were at a disadvantage in the early stages. In the fifth inning, with no outs and a runner on first base and trailing by one run, Tomoya Masaki hit a go-ahead two-run homer, his 14th of the season, over the center field fence, his second in as many games. The offense, which had scored 22 runs the previous day, struggled against Orix Buffaloes 's second-year high school graduate right-handed Leo Yamaguchi, but finally knocked him out. "I was jammed, but I managed to swing through and it turned into home run," he commented. Despite being jammed, the ball's speed was an astonishing 172.4 km/h (according to NPB+).

In the bottom of the 7th inning with a one-run lead and no outs, Kensuke Kondo hit his 22nd home run of the season, a solo shot to right-center field, his second in as many games.

Haru Matsumoto earned his seventh win of the season, allowing only two runs in five innings. From the sixth inning onwards, Tsumori, Osuna, Yu Matsumoto, and Sugiyama combined to secure the win.

With three matches remaining in the first half of the season, they have secured the top spot.