◇ Hanshin Tigers vs Saitama Seibu Lions "Nippon Life Central and Pacific League Interleague 2026" Round 3 (16th, Koshien)

Saitama Seibu Lions clinched the championship of the 'Nippon Life Central-Pacific League Interleague 2026' with a record of 14 wins, 3 losses, and 1 draw, with a .824 winning percentage. The championship was the first in franchise history, and their .824 winning percentage was the highest ever.

Saitama Yakult Seibu Lions started the interleague play on a good note with two wins and one draw in three consecutive games against Tokyo. He also had a winning record against Yokohama DeNA in the following match, and although the Hanshin Tigers game on June 2 was canceled due to rain, he won two consecutive games starting on the 3rd. Chunichi Won six consecutive matches from the second match. In the game against Hiroshima, he recorded walk-off win in two consecutive games. In the final The Giants three-game series, they won 2-1, securing a winning record in all matches.

The Hanshin Tigers match in Koshien came with a situation where either a win or a draw would determine the championship. Starting pitcher Natsuki Takeuchi pitcher delivered a brilliant performance with 3 hit no walks Hit by Pitch 10 strike out no runs in the 6th inning, and the lineup took the lead in the top of the 5th with a timely hit by Masayuki Kuwahara player. He defended the one-run lead with a solid relievers and secured the championship with a .824 winning percentage, surpassing Fukuoka Softbank and Hokkaido Nippon-Ham.

Text by Minagi Niwa