2026 Persol Climax Series Pacific League Final Stage Game 2: Softbank Hawks vs. Nippon-Ham (15th, Mizuho PayPay)

The second games of the Central and Pacific League Climax Series will be held on the 15th. In the Central League, the third-place DeNA BayStars won the first game against the champion Hanshin Tigers, bringing the series to a 1-1 tie. In the Pacific League, the champion Softbank Hawks defeated the third-place Nippon-Ham, making their record 3 wins and 0 losses.

In the Pacific League, because Softbank Hawks finished the regular season 11.5 games ahead of the second-place Seibu Lions and 13 games ahead of Nippon-Ham, the new 'two-win advantage' rule introduced this season is being applied. The conditions are: (1) if the gap between the first-place team and the winner of the first stage is 10 games or more, or (2) if the first stage winner's regular season winning percentage is below .500. If either condition is met, the original six-game series becomes a seven-game series, and the requirement to win four games becomes a requirement to win five games.

The first-place team hosts the final stage, and by increasing their advantage, they can also closer the risk of a decrease in revenue due to fewer games played. Nippon-Ham, having lost the first game, will now face the high hurdle of needing five wins in the remaining maximum of six games.

Nippon-Ham struggled significantly in the regular season against this opponent, with a record of 5 wins, 18 losses, and 2 draws. At Mizuho PayPay Dome, the venue for the final stage, they suffered a major defeat with a record of 1 win and 10 losses. The hurdle of needing 5 wins in 6 games is extremely high, but will they be able to overcome it?