May 'SKY PerfecTV! Sayonara Award' Winners Announced!

Since 2012, SKY PerfecTV! has been sponsoring the monthly 'SKY PerfecTV! Sayonara Award,' established by the Central and Pacific Leagues to support and energize professional baseball. This award selects one player from each league who hit the most impactful walk-off (sayonara) hit throughout the month, presenting them with a trophy and 300,000 yen.

On Friday, June 12, the winners for the May 'SKY PerfecTV! Sayonara Award' were announced: Hayato Sakamoto (Yomiuri Giants) for the Central League and Kenta Tanigawara (Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks) for the Pacific League, with award ceremonies held at each stadium.

[May 'SKY PerfecTV! Sayonara Award' Winners]

■ Comments from Winners

◆ Hayato Sakamoto (Yomiuri Giants)
"I'm honestly surprised and very happy to hear this is my 'fifth' time winning. The game in which I hit the walk-off home run went on until quite late, and I'm sure many people watched it on TV until the very end. I want to continue to show you games where we don't give up until the end.
In the at-bat before the home run, I struck out with the bases loaded, so I had a strong desire to make up for it because the team connected to give me another chance. I will do my best to hit good hits or home runs when such situations come around again, so I hope people will come to the stadium to watch."

◆ Kenta Tanigawara (Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks)
"I am very happy to win such a wonderful award. The enthusiastic cheering and many kind words from the fans are a great strength for us players. Please continue your warm support.
I wasn't preparing at all before the walk-off hit, so I was super excited during Kurihara-san's home run.
I was very nervous when heading to the batter's box, but felt the cheers from the fans were quiet, thinking 'I guess I'm not expected to do much' (laughs), so I decided to betray that expectation in a good way. Thanks to Coach Hasegawa's precise advice, I was able to resist swinging at the forkball even when I was at a disadvantage. This first walk-off hit of my baseball life is truly valuable, and I'm still excited. I want to continue to be active and bring joy to many fans."

■ Summary of Winning Plays

Central League: Hayato Sakamoto (Yomiuri Giants) - 5th time winning (since Sept/Oct 2025)
Sakamoto hit a dramatic come-from-behind 3-run walk-off home run to the left-field seats on Wednesday, May 13, in the 7th game against Hiroshima Toyo Carp at Fukui Prefectural Stadium (Seiren Dream Stadium), in the bottom of the 12th inning, one out, first and second base, trailing by one run.
Yomiuri took an early lead with a home run by Cabbage in the bottom of the 5th, but tied the game in the top of the 8th. After that, both teams' relief pitchers pitched well. The battle continued until the 11th inning, and the game entered the final inning. In the top of the 12th, Yomiuri faced a pinch with one out and a runner on third. Although they prevented a run once with a good defensive play by shortstop Urata, they allowed a go-ahead RBI hit after two outs. Yomiuri, wanting to fight back, made an opportunity in the bottom of the inning with consecutive hits by Kishida and Dalbec, creating a one-out, first and second base situation, and Sakamoto stepped up to the plate. Sakamoto had appeared as a pinch hitter in a walk-off opportunity in the bottom of the 10th but struck out; however, in this high-stakes at-bat, he swung without hesitation at the first changeup, hitting a dramatic come-from-behind walk-off home run into the left-field stands. This home run was a memorial hit, being Sakamoto's 300th career home run. The veteran, who has supported the team for many years, delivered a dramatic walk-off victory to the Fukui fans with outstanding clutch ability.

Pacific League: Kenta Tanigawara (Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks) - First win
Tanigawara hit a walk-off double to the right-field line on Friday, May 8, in the 5th game against Chiba Lotte Marines at Mizuho PayPay Dome, in the bottom of the 9th inning, two outs, runner on second.
Fukuoka SoftBank took an early lead with a 2-run home run by Kondo in the bottom of the 3rd, but allowed 5 runs at once in the top of the 6th to Chiba Lotte, giving up the lead. The game seemed to tilt towards the opponent, but Fukuoka SoftBank scored 1 run back on a sacrifice fly by Yanagita in the bottom of the 6th, and the relief pitchers held the opponent scoreless until the final phase, entrusting the hope of a comeback to the attack in the 9th. In the bottom of the 9th, trailing by 2 runs at 3-5, leadoff man Kurihara hit a home run into the right-field seats, narrowing the lead to 1 run. Afterwards, with two outs and a runner on second, Makihara hit a game-tying double to the left-field line, bringing the game back to equal terms at the last moment. With two outs and a runner on second, the walk-off winning opportunity, the batter was Tanigawara, who had entered the game in the middle. Swinging at the 4th pitch after a 1-2 count, the ball hit a sharp walk-off double along the right-field fence line. Although he was a substitute, he did a magnificent job in the crucial moment, bringing victory to the team with the first walk-off hit of his career.