Seibu Lions Clinch Second Place, Earn Home Climax Series Berth

The Saitama Seibu Lions clinched second place in the Pacific League and home-field advantage for the opening round of the Climax Series with a 7-1 win over the Chiba Lotte Marines at ZOZO Marine Stadium on Monday, October 5.

Seibu broke a 1-1 tie in the eighth inning before pulling away with four more runs in the ninth. The result settled the Pacific League’s final order with one regular-season game remaining and confirmed that the Lions will host the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters when the Climax Series First Stage begins on October 10 at Belluna Dome.

Takahashi keeps Seibu level

Kona Takahashi gave the Lions six strong innings, allowing one run on seven hits and one walk while striking out eight. He threw 90 pitches and kept Seibu in the game after Koki Yamaguchi put Lotte ahead with his 38th home run of the season in the third inning.

Tyler Nevin answered in the fourth with a sacrifice fly that brought home Manaya Nishikawa. The score remained tied until the eighth, when veteran Takeya Nakamura drew a bases-loaded walk to force in the go-ahead run. A wild pitch then made it 3-1.

Four-run ninth seals second place

Seibu removed any doubt in the ninth. Nishikawa, Alexander Canario and Taiga Kojima delivered run-scoring hits as the Lions stretched the lead to six runs. Kojima finished with two hits and two RBIs.

The late surge turned a tense playoff-position battle into a decisive clincher. Seibu had entered the final week still needing to hold off Nippon-Ham for second place; Monday’s victory means the Lions can now prepare to open the postseason in front of their home crowd.

The regular-season finale will no longer affect the top three positions in the Pacific League. The focus now shifts to Belluna Dome, where Seibu and Nippon-Ham will meet in the best-of-three First Stage for the right to advance in Japan’s postseason.