◆ Softbank Hawks 5-4 Nippon-Ham (9th, Mizuho PayPay Dome)

The Softbank Hawks reduced their magic number for the championship to 12 with consecutive wins. Although they were unable to score any additional runs after the 5th inning while holding a two-point lead, they managed to hold on for a one-run victory in the end. While they won big with 14 runs the previous night on the 8th, they firmly secured the win in a close game today.

After Uwasawa kept the game competitive by allowing three runs over six innings, the team turned to their winning pattern from the seventh inning onward with Tsumori, Matsumoto, and Sugiyama. In the ninth inning, while holding a two-run lead, Sugiyama allowed the opponent to close within one run due in part to his own error, but he managed to hold on.

The lineup took an early lead in the first inning with Kondo's 26th solo home run, but after falling behind, they turned the game around in the third inning by scoring three runs, including Shuto's RBI infield hit and Kurihara's 37th two-run homer. After the game, Manager Kokubo commented on the lineup's silence from the middle innings onward, stating, 'That would be ideal, but it's not that easy,' before concluding, 'Even so, being able to hold onto the lead is the strength of The Hawks.'