NISHINOMIYA, Hyogo Pref. -- The Hanshin Tigers and the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks are playing what could be called the Japan Series of southpaws and sayonaras.

Games 1 through 4 were won by left-handed pitchers Takayuki Shinohara and Toshiya Sugiuchi for the Hawks, and Makoto Yoshino and Jeff Williams of the Tigers.

Six of the eight starters in those four games were lefties, with portsider Tsuyoshi Shimoyanagi the Game 5 starter for Hanshin.