Aren Kuri threw eight scoreless innings to help the Hiroshima Carp to clinch their third straight Central League pennant in grand fashion with a 10-0 win over the Tokyo Yakult Swallows on Wednesday.
For two straight days, the Carp had needed one win or one Swallows loss to clinch the title. They took care of both in front of their hometown fans at Mazda Stadium. The win was Hiroshima's seventh straight over the Swallows, who have a winning record against every other CL team.
The victory means the Carp will host the final stage of the CL Climax Series from Oct. 17 against the winner of the first stage between the CL's second- and third-place teams.