The Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks moved to within one win of the Japan Series on Saturday when they whipped the Seibu Lions 8-2 in Game 4 of the Pacific League Climax Series Final Stage.
The Hawks have won three of the four games played at MetLife Dome. Because the Lions began the six-game series with a one-win advantage as league champs, SoftBank now holds a 3-2 lead.
The winner here will face the Central League's Hiroshima Carp in the Japan Series, starting next Saturday in Hiroshima.