The first stage game of the climax series was held from October 8 to 10 in Tokyo Dome. The game was playing between 2nd place and 3rd place of the Central league, the Tokyo Yomiuri Giants and the Yokohama DeNA BayStars has played in this year. The team that was two wins earlier, proceed to the final stage game with Hiroshima Carp of the 1st place.
In the first round, the starting pitcher was Miles Mikolas of the Giants and Shoichi Ino of the Baystars. Tomoyuki Sugano was an ace for the Giants, But he avoidid to pitch because of fever. In the bottom of 1st inning, Hisayoshi Chono of the Giants made a RBI single from Ino, the Giants was the first to score. After that, both teams took one point so the score was 2-1. In the top of 6th inning, Yoshitomo Tsutsugo made two-run home run from Mikolas, BayStars reversed the game that was the score of 3-2. Baystars took 2 point by Jose Lopez‘ s homer in the top of 9th inning, After all BayStars beat the Giants 5 to 3. In the past of the first stage, 94% of the team that won the first game proceeded to the final stage.
In the second round, the starting pitcher was Kazuto Taguchi of the Giants and Shota Imanaga of the Baystars. In the top of 2nd inning, because the wild pitch of Taugch so the Baystars was the first to score. but in the bottom of 3rd inning, Hayato Sakamoto made a home run from Imanaga, the Giants equalized with the Baystars. The game proceeded as same score of 1-1, Hisayoshi Chono made a RBI single from Tomoya Mikami, the Giants took the lead of 1 point. After that, Scott Mathieson of the Giants hold scoreless in 2 innings, the Giants beat the BayStars 2 to 1. Chono was active 2 games in a row. Both teams got one win.
In the third round, the starting pitcher was Tetsuya Utsumi of the Giants and Kenta Ishida of the Baystars. In the top of 1st inning, Tsutomu Kajitani of the Baystars was hit by a pitched from Utsumi, Kajitani leaved the ground. But Jose Lopez made two-run home run from Utsumi, Baystars was the first to score. However Shinnosuke Abe also made two-run home run from Ishida in the bottom of 1st inning, the Giants equalized with the Baystars. In the next inning, Taiki Sekine that participated on behalf of Kajitani, hit a sacrifice fly. So the BayStars took the lead of 1 point. The game proceeded as same score of 3-2, but Shuichi Murata made a home run from Ishida in the bottom of 6th inning, the Giants equalized with the Baystars again. After that, Hiroki Minei made a RBI single in the top 11th inning, the BayStars beat the Giants 4 to 3. The BayStars was two wins earlier, so proceed to the game of final stage from October 12.
The MVP of these 3 games is Jose Lopez. His stats was 2 home runs and 3 RBI, he contributed to the victory of the BayStars. This youtube’s video is the home run of Lopez in the first round. There are many BayStars fans in Tokyo Dome.
