The Seibu Lions clinched their 22nd pennant in franchise history on Sunday, but did so in unusual fashion by both leading the Pacific League from wire to wire and becoming the second championship team to finish last in the league in ERA.
The Lions nailed it down when their closest rivals, the second-place Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, lost in Fukuoka and provided a repeat of the their 2008 championship — also celebrated at Sapporo Dome due to another team's defeat elsewhere.
"It wasn't ideal, but in the end, winning is what matters," Lions manager Hatsuhiko Tsuji told Kyodo News at MetLife Dome in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture on Friday.