There is only one race of real consequence remaining in this NPB season and it’s still too close to call.
With the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks winning the Pacific League pennant on Tuesday and the Yomiuri Giants following suit in the CL on Friday, the only thing left up for grabs is second place in the PL — and the Climax Series berth that comes with it.
That race is going down to the wire with the Chiba Lotte Marines, Seibu Lions and Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles all within 2½ games of each other.