SoftBank Hawks Move Within One Win of Pacific League Pennant After 10-Inning Shutout
SoftBank beat Orix 4-0 in 10 innings, cutting their Pacific League magic number to two and creating a pennant-clinching scenario on September 17.
World Baseball News Editorial Team , 1 min read 
The Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks moved to the brink of another Pacific League pennant Wednesday night, beating the Orix Buffaloes 4-0 in 10 innings at Kyocera Dome Osaka and reducing their championship magic number to two.
SoftBank broke open a scoreless game with four runs in the top of the 10th after both pitching staffs had traded zeros through nine innings. The victory extended the Hawks’ winning streak to eight games, their longest of the season, and improved them to 83-45-3.
SoftBank pitching keeps Orix scoreless for 10 innings
Naoyuki Uwasawa gave SoftBank six scoreless innings, allowing seven hits and three walks while striking out three. Roberto Osuna, Yuki Matsumoto, Darwinzon Hernandez and Gaku Suzuki combined to finish the shutout.
Orix starter Aren Kuri matched Uwasawa for six scoreless innings, but the Buffaloes could not turn nine hits into a run. The game remained 0-0 until SoftBank finally broke through against reliever Atsuki Iwasaki in the 10th.
Ryoya Kurihara and Tatsuru Yanagimachi each drove in a run during the four-run inning, while Yuto Yamamoto and Hikaru Kawase also brought runs home as the Hawks converted a long pitching duel into a decisive late victory.
Hawks can clinch the Pacific League on Thursday
With the win, SoftBank holds a 10-game lead over the second-place Saitama Seibu Lions. The Hawks’ magic number is now two entering Thursday’s games.
That creates a direct clinching scenario on September 17: if SoftBank beats Orix again and Seibu loses to the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, the Hawks will secure the Pacific League pennant. A SoftBank win with a Seibu win or tie would reduce the magic number to one.
SoftBank sends Haru Matsumoto to the mound against Orix left-hander Ryuhei Sotani at Kyocera Dome. Seibu faces Nippon-Ham at ES CON Field Hokkaido.
The Hawks are chasing a third consecutive Pacific League pennant. They also enter the stretch run as the defending Japan Series champions after defeating the Hanshin Tigers in the 2025 championship series.
