Manager Season Champion Saitama Seibu Lions MVP Takayuki Kishi | Dates November 1–9 Start date 2008 | |
Television Japan: NTV (Games 1, 6, 7)
TV Asahi (Games 2, 3, 4, 5)
South Korea: SBS Sports Channel TV announcers Ryo Kawamura, Shunsuke Shimizu, Takao Nakayama Similar 2009 Japan Series, 2007 Japan Series, 2005 Japan Series | ||
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The 2008 Japan Series was the 59th edition of Nippon Professional Baseball's championship series. The best-of-seven playoff between the respective champions of the Central League's and the Pacific League's Climax Series (postseason). The Series began on Saturday, November 1, 2008, and went the full seven games. The deciding Game 7 took place on Sunday, November 9.
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2008 japan series dh 1 hakodateyama
Climax Series
Note:Giants was drawn in Game 3 in their Climax Series 2nd Stage. As teams having better position in regular league will have advantage, thus Giants won the series in 3-1-1.
Summary
Lions won the series, 4–3
Game 1, November 1
Tokyo Dome in Tokyo
Game 2, November 2
Tokyo Dome in Tokyo
Game 3, November 4
Seibu Dome in Tokorozawa, Saitama
Game 4, November 5
Seibu Dome in Tokorozawa, Saitama
Takayuki Kishi tossed a 147-pitch, complete-game shutout, striking out 10 Giants in the process. His opponent, Seth Greisinger, gave up 5 runs in as many innings, continuing his season-long struggles against the Lions. Tempers flared in the 4th when Greisinger hit Seibu shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima on the elbow with a pitch. The two started shouting at each other, and the benches cleared. No punches were thrown, but the next batter, Takeya Nakamura, crushed his first home run of the day to extend Seibu's lead to 3-0. Nakamura would strike again in the 6th off Greisinger with another 2-run blast to end the scoring.
Game 5, November 6
Seibu Dome in Tokorozawa, Saitama
Game 6, November 8
Tokyo Dome in Tokyo
Kishi came through again with 5 and 2/3 innings of shutout ball in relief of Seibu starter Kazuyuki Hoashi after Hoashi got into trouble in the 4th. The unsung hero of the Series, Hiroshi Hirao, crushed a 3-run home run to give the Lions a 3-0 lead off veteran lefty starter Hisanori Takahashi in the first. Takahashi only lasted 2 innings, giving up 3 runs on 5 hits, walking 2 and striking out 2.
Game 7, November 9
Tokyo Dome in Tokyo
The critical inning was the 8th. Daisuke Ochi came in for the Giants to keep the Lions at bay, but Ochi got off to a bad start by hitting Kataoka. Kataoka then stole second, and he was sacrificed to 3rd. Hiroyuki Nakajima then hit a slow ground ball to 3rd, and Kataoka's speed allowed him to beat the throw home, tying the game up at 2. Ochi then proceeded to walk the next two batters, then Hiroshi Hirao, on a 3-1 pitch, lined a breaking ball back up the middle to score Takeya Nakamura and give Seibu the lead. Alex Graman closed out the Giants in the 9th to give the Lions their first Japan Series Championship since 2004.