SoftBank Hawks Prevail in 11th to Win the Japan Series

After a five-year wait, the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks are NPB champions once again. 

Hawks shortstop Isami Nomura whacked a tiebreaking leadoff home run off Shoki Murakami in the top of the 11th inning in Game 5 of the Japan Series on Thursday, October 30. Moments later, Hanshin Tigers outfielder Nozomu Takatera grounded out to second base for the final out in the bottom of the 11th.

Final score: SoftBank 3, Hanshin 2.

The game ended at 10:13 PM at Koshien Stadium, and the Hawks were Japan Series champions for the 10th time since 2000.

In 2024, SoftBank was the runner-up, falling to the Yokohama DeNA BayStars in six games.

This time, the Hawks dropped the series opener at Mizuho PayPay Dome Fukuoka on October 25, then won four straight games, including three on the road at Hanshin's iconic ballpark.

Euphoric Hawks players gathered on the field along with manager Hiroki Kokubo and coaches after the game ended.

The crowd of 41,000-plus fans knew what would come next. Kokubo was given the traditional doage (victory toss) by the players. They tossed him into the air nine times.

"We played really well in all five games, with no time to catch our breath," Kokubo said, reflecting on the Japan Series, according to Kyodo News. "I'm very happy that we were able to achieve our goal of becoming number one in Japan, which we were unable to achieve last year."

Hawks reliever Yuki Matsumoto was the team's sixth and final pitcher. He worked a scoreless 11th and earned the win.

How the SoftBank Hawks Forced Extra Innings

A Hanshin victory on Thursday night would have sent the best-of-seven series back to Fukuoka for Game 6 on Saturday, November 1 and, possibly, Game 7 on Sunday.

Instead, the Hawks wrapped up the Japan Series with a late-game comeback.

With one out and a runner on first in the top of the eighth, Hawks outfielder Yuki Yanagita smashed Tigers reliever Daichi Ishii's first offering, a 150-kph fastball, over the left-field wall. That made it 2-2.

"I got a good swing on that one," Yanagita said later, according to Jiji Press.

Ishii was invincible during the regular season, allowing one run in 53 appearances. His sensational pitching was one of the big reasons that SoftBank had NPB's best record (87-52-4) in 2025.

When it happened, Kokubo was as surprised as anyone standing or sitting at Koshien Stadium.

"I just saw that pitcher Ishii gave up runs for the first time since April 4," Kokubo told reporters after the game, according to PacificLeague.com. "He's been a pitcher who rarely gives up runs, so it was great that Yanagita hit that two-run homer."

A longtime Hawks player, Yanagita, 37, appeared in only 20 regular-season games this season due to a lower-leg injury. (He also hit just four homers, a far cry from his career-best total of 36 in 2018.) But he's thrived in high-pressure situations throughout his career and came through again in Game 5.

Tigers Take the Early Lead

SoftBank starter Kohei Arihara left the game after 82 pitches and 4⅔ innings. He allowed six hits, two runs and three walks.

In the second inning, the Tigers took a 1-0 lead on catcher Seishiro Sakamoto's single to left. Yusuke Ohyama dashed from second to home, sliding safely to beat the tag.

The Tigers extended the lead to 2-0 on a Teruaki Sato RBI single in the fifth. 

Hanshin starter Kotaro Otake tossed six scoreless innings of three-hit ball in his 73-pitch outing. He held the Hawks without a hit until Nomura singled with two outs in the fifth. Otake finished with three strikeouts.

Reliever Masaki Oyokawa replaced Otake in the seventh, and the shutout was still intact at the end of the inning.

Then it was Ishii's turn.

Suguru Iwazaki replaced Ishii in the ninth, and Tigers ace Murakami was called upon to pitch in the 10th.

Then, in the 11th, Nomura crushed the clutch homer.

Tigers' Comeback Hopes Quashed

In the bottom of the 11th, Hanshin's comeback hopes fell short ― a leadoff walk and three quick outs.

For the Tigers, it was a disappointing conclusion to their great season. After all, Hanshin went 85-54-4 in manager Kyuji Fujikawa's first season in charge, winning the Central League pennant by 13 games over the BayStars.

"The Hawks were extremely strong," Fujikawa told reporters after Game 5, according to Kyodo News. "To compete on equal terms or better against such a strong team, we need to get stronger ourselves."

Yamakawa Named Japan Series MVP

Hawks slugger Hotaka Yamakawa, who homered in Games 2, 3 and 4, was selected as the Japan Series MVP. The 33-year-old finished with seven RBIs and also had five hits against the Tigers. He batted .385 in the five-game series.

Yamakawa was a pinch hitter in Game 1, but was moved to the starting lineup as the first baseman for the next game and remained there for the rest of the series.

RELATED:

• SoftBank Hawks Move to the Brink of Winning the Japan Series
• Japan Series: The Hawks Pull Even with a 10-1 Rout in Game 2
• Japan Series: Tigers Rally Past Hawks in Game 1
• ODDS and EVENS | SoftBank Hawks Rely on Impressive Depth for Success in 2025

Author: Ed Odeven

Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.