[tehsuigi]

Pacific League Climax Series Final Stage
The Hawks will have a one-game head start as pennant winners.

Game 1: Fukuoka SoftBank 7, Shizuoka 5 (10 innings)
Stop me if you've heard this before - the Hawks are really good. The Arrows built up a 4-0 lead against Hawks starter Aatu Puikkonen (who bombed out with them last season), but starter Ethan Smith and reliever Hironori Watanabe gave up two each. The Arrows got a lead with a one-out solo home run from Kenjyu Kuwahara in the 9th, but Hawks 2B Koichi Maeda hit a one-out solo shot of his own also off Watanabe to knot things up. It was Hawks 3B Tatsuro Kaneshiro who walked it off with a two-run bomb off leftie Isamu Hiratsuka.

Game 2: Shizuoka 8, Fukuoka SoftBank 4
The losing streak is over at last. A big component of that was new Arrow Natsuki Hashimoto, as the shortstop slugged a 3-run bomb to go ahead 5-3 in the 4th. Hawks starter Roki Sasaki yielded 7 runs (6 earned) over 4 1/3 innings to take the loss. Shizuoka starter Yoshimitsu Ota yielded three runs on 7 innings to win it.

Game 3: Shizuoka 8, Fukuoka SoftBank 3
This one was over after the first inning, a 4-spot by the Arrows. Hawks starter Yasunobu Okugawa gave up 6 overall in 2 2/3 innings, with a 2-run double by LF Bobby Ochampaugh the one that started the headache. Shizuoka starter Kikuo Aoki yielded 2 runs (1 earned) on 3 hits and 2 walks over 6 innings. And just like that, the series is tied.

Game 5: Shizuoka 7, Fukuoka SoftBank 5
Akira Yamane struggled through seven innings, yielding 5 runs (most of that on a Shohei Ohtani grand slam in the 6th), but the Arrows offense tied it in the 7th on solo home runs from catcher Yasutoki Kato and centre fielder Louis Okoye against Hawks starter Sho Ito, and took the lead off a 2-run double from Kato in the 8th off closer Mitstuaki Yasuda. After struggling this postseason, Arrows reliever Hironori Watanabe pitched two scoreless innings in relief to get the save.

Game 6: Shizuoka 7, Fukuoka 4 (10 innings)
Just as Game 1 was a regret for the Arrows, this one is the same for the Hawks. SoftBank's starter Kazuo Okuda managed five innings of 2-run ball, handing a 4-2 lead over to relievers Takamasa Yasashi and closer Mitsuaki Yasuda for 3 1/3 innings. But those pesky Arrows chipped away - a wild pitch by T. Hayashi to score DH Kikuo Kawamoto from 3rd in the 8th inning, then a single from 1B Hirotaka Hayashi off Toshikuni Arakawa to tie the game by scoring 3B Takahiko Arakawa. In the 10th, it was Arakawa vs Arakawa with Takahiko hitting a 2-run double with two out to take the lead; Takahiko would score himself on a double by 2B Taisei Murakami. Shizuoka closer Yasunaga Suzuki with two clean sheets and four strikeouts in the final two innings to get the win.

And just like that, the Arrows have revenge from last season. It is unknown who they will play in the Japan Series. For the second straight series, DH Kikuo Kawamoto is MVP.
EDIT: It will be the Yomiuri Giants, and with it being an even year, the Arrows will have home field advantage.