◆ Pacific League Nippon-Ham 8X-7 Softbank Hawks (19th, ES CON FIELD) =10 extra inning =

Nippon-Ham overcame a six-run deficit to win their fifth walk-off victory of the season. The gap between them and first-place Softbank Hawks is now 7.5 games.

The game started with them trailing by six runs by the fifth inning. However, in the bottom of the fifth inning, pinch hitter Imagawa hit his second home run of the season, a three-run shot over left field, which changed the momentum. Then, in the seventh inning, with one out and the bases loaded, Mizuno hit a go-ahead bases loaded slam to right field, his 11th home run of the season, turning the game around.

They were tied in the 8th inning, but in the 10th inning of extra extra inning, with one out and a runner on third base, Yuki Kiyomiya hit a walk-off to right field.

Even so, when asked about the come-from-behind victory against Softbank Hawks, manager Shinjo said, "I'm not happy at all. I don't think of them as Softbank Hawks; they're all the same. It's one game at a time, one pitch at a time. We just have to concentrate and win." Even with this win, their record for the season is 4 wins and 15 losses. With 30 games remaining, a 7.5-game deficit is a tough number.

Before the season began, he made many remarks that were clearly aimed at Softbank Hawks, declaring that they would "win the championship by a landslide" to motivate his players. When asked if he was conscious of Softbank Hawks in the early part of the season, he said, "Of course I was (laughs). Because (in 2024 and 2025) we were second and second, with Softbank Hawks above us, so of course we were conscious of them. When we came in second, I thought it would be important to make the players think that we would win by a landslide, so I had them work towards that. But given the results, I guess that remark backfired."