The Yomiuri Giants hadn't played a game that really counted for anything since clinching the Central League pennant on Sept. 21. They hadn't played any official games at all since Sept. 28.
When they finally did get back on the diamond, it didn't take long for the Kyojin to get back into the swing of things.
Yoshihiro Maru and Kazuma Okamoto hit back-to-back home runs in the first inning and Shun Yamaguchi pitched into the eighth as the Giants beat the Hanshin Tigers 5-2 in Game 1 of the Central League Climax Series Final Stage in front of a crowd of 45,177 on Wednesday night at Tokyo Dome.