The Yomiuri Giants raced out of the dugout after the final out, as streamers and confetti rained down from the stands, and tossed their manager into the air eight times.
So what if the title had been secured a little more than three hours earlier? These moments don't come around often, and the Giants were going to enjoy it.
The Kyojin snared the big prize before their first at-bat of the night, clinching a second straight Central League pennant with a loss by the Hanshin Tigers earlier in the day, but held off on the festivities long enough to beat the Hiroshima Carp 2-1 on Sunday night at Tokyo Dome.