The Orix Buffaloes came so close last year, channeling the frustration of last-place finishes in 2019 and 2020 into a surprising run to Game 6 of the Japan Series. The Buffaloes, however, came up short against the Tokyo Yakult Swallows on that chilly night in Kobe a year ago.

They came back this year determined to return and finish the job. Orix won the Pacific League pennant again and reached the Japan Series for the second straight year, as Yakult emerged as the final obstacle again. The Buffaloes, though, were not going to be denied this time.

Ryo Ota homered on the first pitch, and the Buffaloes capitalized on yet another costly error by the Swallows and held on late to win the Japan Series with a 5-4 victory in Game 7 at Jingu Stadium on Sunday night.

"I wanted to score in the first inning," Buffaloes manager Satoshi Nakajima said. "So I think it was big that we were able to get that run.

The Swallows did not go down without a fight. Yasutaka Shiomi and Kazuya Maruyama led off the eighth inning with singles with the Swallows trailing 5-0. Munetaka Murakami singled to right to score Shiomi from second and Jose Osuna put a charge into the stadium with a three-run homer to left, punctuating the moment with a bat flip and chest-thumping celebration.

"They are a strong team and I thought they might be able to catch up to us," Buffaloes manager Satoshi Nakajima said. "They are a really scary team."

That was as close as Yakult got, however, as the Buffaloes’ Jacob Waguespack retired the side in the ninth to clinch the title.

The Buffaloes won the series 4-2-1 (the teams tied 3-3 in Game 2) and prevented the first Game 8 since the 1986 series.

Orix won the Japan Series for the first time since Ichiro Suzuki led the BlueWave to the title in 1996. The title is also the team’s first since the merger with the Kintetsu Buffaloes after the 2004 season.

Ota gave Orix the lead in the first, and the Buffaloes broke the game open when three runners scored on an error by Swallows center fielder Yasutaka Shiomi in the fifth.

Ota became the first player to homer on the first pitch of a Japan Series game and connected on the 13th leadoff homer in series history.

Buffaloes starter Hiroya Miyagi earned the win in the clincher with five scoreless innings. He struck out five and walked one on short rest.

"It must have been really tiring for him," Nakajima said. "But he did a great job and I'm grateful."

Yakult’s Cy Sneed was the losing pitcher, allowing five runs — two earned — in 4⅔ frames.

Orix slugger Yutaro Sugimoto was named MVP of the series. Sugimoto had six hits and three RBIs in the series. He was 0-for-3 in Game 7, but he hit the ball that Shiomi failed to catch in the fifth inning.

Yakult, the last-place team in the Central League in 2019 and 2020, had been seeking its second straight title after outlasting Orix in last year’s Japan Series.

"Looking back (over the season), I think the players did a great job," Swallows manager Shingo Takatsu said as he fought back tears. "They did not complain even through the tough times we had. Even though we lost today, and it's a pity we lost today, I think it's wonderful that we were able to come this far. So I want to commend the players."

Takatsu went on the field to congratulate Nakajima following the game.

Munetaka Murakami, the Swallows’ record-breaking slugger who won the Triple Crown and hit 56 homers during the regular season, hit a wall in the Japan Series.

The reigning Central League MVP had three hits, including a home run, in the first two games. He then went hitless over 16 consecutive plate appearances (0-for-10) from the start of Game 3.

Tetsuto Yamada, a former CL MVP, had a three-run homer in Game 3, but was 2-for-24 overall.

Osuna led the charge for the Swallows finishing 11-for-30 with a pair of home runs and eight RBIs during the series.

The Buffaloes lost Game 1 at Jingu Stadium, allowed three runs in the ninth inning in a tie in Game 2 and were routed at home in Game 3.

Orix won the next three games to arrive at Game 7 with two chances to clinch.

"I think they put together a very good team," Takatsu said.

Ota sent Sneed’s first pitch of the game to the back screen in center field to get the Buffaloes off to a fast start.

The Swallows’ Jose Osuna nearly tied it with a two-out drive to center in the bottom of the fourth, but the ball did not carry far enough as Keita Nakagawa made the catch in front of the wall.

Torai Fushimi started the Buffaloes’ half of the fifth with a hit to right, and Orix loaded the bases on bunt singles by Miyagi and Ota. Yuma Mune hit into a double play, but Nakagawa drew a walk to reload the bases.

Sneed hit Masataka Yoshida with his first pitch to force in a run to make the score 2-0.

Yutaro Sugimoto stepped to the plate and sent a ball to center that a running Shiomi misplayed while trying to make the catch, an error that allowed all three runners to score.

It was the third straight game a Swallows error led directly to runs. Closer Scott McGough made a throwing error that allowed the tying run to score in the ninth inning of Game 5 and committed another that allowed the Buffaloes to add an insurance run in the ninth in Game 6.

The Buffaloes closed out the series without ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who won his second straight Sawamura Award this season. Yamamoto started in Game 1 but left with an oblique injury in the fifth. Sachiya Yamasaki and four relievers held the Swallows scoreless in Game 6.

Miyagi gave the team a solid start in Game 7, with the bullpen closing it out again.