Hanshin Tigers Clinch Historic Central League Repeat After Giants Lose
Hanshin clinched the 2026 Central League pennant after Yomiuri lost 5-2 to DeNA, securing the first back-to-back titles in Tigers history.
World Baseball News Editorial Team , 2 min read 
The Hanshin Tigers clinched the 2026 Central League pennant on Saturday, October 3, completing the first back-to-back league championships in franchise history after the Yomiuri Giants lost 5-2 to the Yokohama DeNA BayStars at Tokyo Dome.
Hanshin had missed its first chance to finish the race earlier in the day, losing 6-4 to the Hiroshima Toyo Carp at Mazda Stadium. The Tigers still entered the night with a magic number of one, meaning a Giants defeat would settle the pennant regardless of Hanshin’s result.
DeNA delivered that defeat with a four-run seventh inning. Taiki Sekine opened the rally with a single, Shugo Maki doubled and pinch-hitter Keita Sano drove in two runs with a bases-loaded single. Shugo Furuichi and Naruse followed with RBI singles, turning a 2-0 deficit into a 4-2 lead. Yoshitomo Tsutsugo added an RBI double in the eighth before the BayStars closed out the 5-2 victory.
Hanshin makes club history
The result left Yomiuri at 76-64-3 with its 143-game regular season complete. Hanshin stands at 77-60-2 and cannot be caught, even with four games remaining.
It is the Tigers’ eighth Central League pennant and the first time the club has won consecutive league titles. Hanshin also finished first in 2025 under manager Kyuji Fujikawa, who has now led the team to pennants in each of his first two seasons in charge.
The clincher came in an unusual way. Hanshin had prepared to celebrate on the field in Hiroshima, and Teruaki Sato’s three-run homer gave the Tigers a 4-2 lead in the third inning. Hiroshima answered, tying the game before Shosei Nakamura and Shogo Sakakura delivered RBI singles in the eighth. Rafael Dolis took the loss as the Carp won 6-4.
Postseason path comes into focus
Hanshin advances directly to the Central League Climax Series Final Stage, where it will receive the league champion’s one-win advantage. Yomiuri finished second and will host third-place DeNA in the First Stage beginning October 10.
The Tigers will now use their remaining regular-season games to prepare for the postseason while chasing a return to the Japan Series. Hanshin last won the Japan Series in 2023 and will enter October as the Central League’s top seed for a second consecutive year.
