◆ "The key to our victory was that we were able to pull strongly."

On the 19th, Seibu Lions faced Orix Buffaloes and finished with a 3x-2 walk-off win. In the ninth, a solo Home Run by leadoff hitter Nevin tied the game, and with two outs and runners on first and second, Sosuke Genda hit walk-off to seal the game.

On the Fuji TV ONE program "Pro baseball News 2026" aired on the 19th, MC Yutaka Takagi said, "It was Genda who made the decision. It's not time for him to slow down yet. It's not because Natsuo Takizawa is out that Genda is the one to play; Genda is a player who we really need to be the team leader." Commentator Tomotaka Sakaguchi agreed, saying, "Of course. He's someone we want to lead the team properly during this important period, so this hit is huge."

Furthermore, when Mr. Takagi analyzed the hit—saying, “I think the key to the victory was that he was able to pull the ball hard. It wasn’t like the weak grounder to shortstop in his previous at-bat; after all, Genda is capable of pulling the ball”—walk-off, Mr. Sakaguchi also expressed his hopes, saying, “I’d love to see him keep pulling the ball like that. He can hit fastballs, too.”

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