TOKOROZAWA, Saitama Pref. -- Respect your elders, as the Japanese say. Seibu Lions ace Daisuke Matsuzaka and Giants outfielder Takayuki Saito went to the same Yokohama High School, four years apart.

And the elder one made sure the younger one wouldn't show him up. Saito, in his eighth year yet still considered "up-and-coming," singled off Matsuzaka in the sixth inning to drive in the Japan Series winning run as the Central League champs came out on top 6-2 at the Seibu Dome on Wednesday night.

The Giants clinched the Japan Series title for the 20th time and the first since 2000. The 2002 Giants became only the sixth team in the 53-year history of the Japan Series to clinch in a sweep.

"Every one of my players fought until the very end," Giants' first-year manager Tatsunori Hara said. "It's beyond words."

Saito, who practically made the away field his playground, went 3-for-4 including a two-run home run and three RBIs. Saito, Giants infielder Kazuhiro Kiyohara and pitcher Koji Uehara were chosen Valuable Players. Giants shortstop Tomohiro Nioka, who went 0-for-5 Wednesday, was selected the Most Valuable Player after going 9-for-19 for the Series and knocking in five RBIs.

"It was a special base hit for me because (Matsuzaka) is younger and we went to the same school," Saito said of the go-ahead base hit, which came with the runners on first and second with two outs. "I'm glad I came away with a big hit in a great situation."

In what looked like a pitcher's game, Saito cracked open the game with a two-run shot off Seibu starter Fumiya Nishiguchi into right field for the Giants' 2-0 lead.

Being held to only a single through four frames, Lions tried to imitate the World Series-winning Anaheim Angels with their own late-game rally.

For once in this Series, Ihara looked smart after first-time starter Tom Evans blasted a two-run homer to bring the game to a 2-2 tie in the bottom of the fifth.

"I felt like for a while, the momentum was changing," Evans said. But the Rally Lion, per se, didn't last long at all.

The Lions pitching staff was clearly overmatched against Yomiuri's lineup -- and Matsuzaka only has himself and Lions manager Haruki Ihara to blame. Ihara switched starter Fumiya Nishiguchi for Matsuzaka in the top of the sixth. The change seemed unrealistic just comparing the numbers: Nishiguchi was pitching two-hit ball through five innings, fanning seven; Matsuzaka gave up four runs on two home runs in the Series-opening loss on Saturday. After giving up the RBI single to Saito, Matsuzaka threw a first-pitch strike, a fastball, to pinch hitter Koji Goto, who hit it over the right fielder's head for a triple and two more runs that ended any hope for Seibu.

"It's tough for me to understand because I didn't know what they were saying," Evans said of the conversation in the dugout when Ihara brought in Matsuzaka. When asked if he thought the move made common sense, Evans shrugged with a slight smile and said, "I don't know. . . . I'm not the manager and I guess you've got to respect his decision."

Hisanori Takahashi, the 27-year-old left hander, pitched a superb game, holding the Lions to two runs on three hits in eight innings of work. Closer Junichi Kawahara gave up a base hit but struck out Evans to end the game. "Today's game is very special for me, but all games are, including during the long season," Hara said. "I've been thinking about this moment throughout the season."