NAGOYA — An improbable postseason just keeps getting more unbelievable for the Chiba Lotte Marines. Three more wins and their fairy tale will be complete.
Rookie Ikuhiro Kiyota and Tadahito Iguchi homered and the Lotte lineup cranked out 13 hits to take Game 1 of the Japan Series with a 5-2 win over the Chunichi Dragons on Saturday at Nagoya Dome.
Lotte has now won the opening game of all three of its postseason series this year. The Marines won the first game of their matchups against the Seibu Lions and Pacific League champion Fukuoka Softbank Hawks during the PL Climax Series.