[Softbank Hawks] Championship Might lit as early as today, the 5th! Yuki Yanagita gets 3 hit to the cheering song of legend Hiromitsu Kadota, securing a 1-0 victory in the "Nankai The Hawks Retro Night Game". The team is on its way to its first three-peat in 60 years and first since moving to Fukuoka | Pacific League

[Softbank Hawks] The championship magic number could be lit as early as today, the 5th! Yuki Yanagita gets 3 hit to the cheering song of legend Hiromitsu Kadota, securing a 1-0 victory in the "Nankai The Hawks Retro Night Game." The team is on its way to its first three-peat in 60 years and its first since moving to Fukuoka.

Sports Hochi

August 5, 2026 05:00

In the 4th inning with no outs and a runner on first base, Yuki Yanagita hits a single to center hit (Photo by Daisuke Iwata).

◆ Pacific League Softbank Hawks 1-0 Nippon-Ham (April 4th, Kyocera Dome Osaka)

It was a display of competitive spirit reminiscent of their golden age 60 years ago. Softbank Hawks won four straight games, including the All-Star break. In a game billed as the "Nankai The Hawks Retro Night in Osaka," they won a close match 1-0. "I'm glad we were able to win in this special game that only happens once a year," said manager Kokubo with a sigh of relief. They are now seven games ahead of second-place Seibu Lions. This is the first time in franchise history, since the Nankai era from 1964-66, that they have achieved three consecutive league championships since relocating to Fukuoka. If they win or draw against Nippon-Ham on the 5th (at Mizuho PayPay Dome), their magic number for winning the championship will be 37 or 38, depending on Seibu Lions 's results.

In Osaka, where the Nankai Hawks were based, they wore replicas of the uniforms they used from 1959 to 1968. "I grew up along the Nankai line, so it's a familiar team to me. I was a The Giants fan, though..." said the manager, who hails from Wakayama. With a 13-2 record against Nippon-Ham, their biggest rival before the season, they have already secured a series win. Looking ahead to their third consecutive championship, he vowed to steadily progress one step at a time, saying, "I can't think that far ahead. It's just about how we play tomorrow's game and how we play this week."

Yanagida stood out the most in his dark green uniform. He stepped up to the plate to the cheering song of Nankai legend Hiromitsu Kadota, and was in high spirits. "It felt refreshing," he said, and in the sixth inning, he hit his third hit of the game, a doble, and scored the first run. Kadota hit 189 home runs after the age of 38. 37-year-old Gīta can't afford to slow down yet. He struggled with injuries in the past two championship years, playing only 52 games in 2024 and 20 games in 2025, but this season he has already played in 85 games. He wants to run through to the end with full energy. (Koichiro Shimao)

◆Conditions for the Magic Number to be lit for the championship: If Softbank Hawks wins or loses, the magic number for winning the championship will be 37 if Softbank Hawks is at a win or a draw, and Seibu Lions is at a loss, and 38 if they are at a win or a draw.