The Hiroshima Carp will have the Central League's toughest road to the Japan Series after Thursday's 5-3 defeat at the hands of the Chunichi Dragons ensured the Carp will play all of their Climax Series games on the road.
Hiroshima right-hander Yuya Fukui (0-2) allowed four runs, three earned, in 2 1/3 innings to earn the loss, leaving the Carp to start their postseason at Koshien Stadium in the Climax Series' best-of-three first stage.
Hiroshima, in the postseason for the first time since it lost the 1991 Japan Series, was held to four hits by five Chunichi pitchers.