Overview
- SoftBank defeated Hokkaido Nippon-Ham and, when the two-win regular-season advantage is added, finished the Pacific League Final Stage with the five wins needed to advance, clinching a Japan Series berth.
- The Hawks’ two-win edge came from finishing the Pacific League more than 10 games clear, a new rule that makes the PL Final Stage a first-to-five-wins series and counts pre-series wins toward advancement.
- SoftBank started Yuu Maeda (前田悠) against Nippon-Ham’s Takashi Kato (加藤貴) in the game that decided the series.
- In the Central League Final Stage, Yokohama DeNA beat Hanshin and now holds a 3–1 edge in results that include Hanshin’s one-win regular-season advantage; DeNA started Katayama and Hanshin started Saiki in that game.
- The winners of the two Final Stages will meet in the Japan Series later this month at the Central League champion’s home, extending consequences for both clubs’ players, staff and fan bases and setting the stage for the national championship.