Many fans, of both the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles and Seibu Lions, probably spent much of the third game of the first-round playoff series between the two teams waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Rakuten never let it happen.

The Eagles, underdogs in the Pacific League Climax Series First Stage, had just seen their two-run lead cut to one thanks to a sacrifice fly by Ginjiro Sumitani in the fifth, and starter Manabu Mima was headed to the showers.