At the All-Star break for the 2013 NPB season, the Yomiuri Giants and Hanshin Tigers appear to have a lock on finishing in first and second place in the Central League pennant race. Unless there is total meltdown by one of them, we will be seeing them in the postseason Climax Series come October.
But which of the four other CL teams will join them?
The Chunichi Dragons, Hiroshima Carp, Yokohama BayStars and Tokyo Yakult Swallows keep switching in places three through six. None of them can seem to put together a halfway decent winning streak and none seems to want that elusive third slot in the CLCS.