The Swallows fans packed into the stands at Jingu Stadium had already been cheering about as loud as they had all season for the past four hours
But when Yuhei Takai hit a ball that squirted past the first-base bag and into right field, they found the strength to kick it up another notch.
Takai hit a sayonara single in the 11th and the Tokyo Yakult Swallows captured the Central League pennant with a 2-1 victory over the Hanshin Tigers on Friday night in front of an enthusiastic crowd of 33,986 at Jingu Stadium.