Seibu secures 2nd place and wins the right to host the Climax Series home base

Seibu won and secured second place, securing the right to host the first stage of the Climax Series (CS) at their home base. Hikaru Takahashi, who was concerned about the condition of a blister on his right hand, pitched six innings, receiving seven hits but limiting the loss to just one run on a solo home run, leading to victory.

This will be the first time they have played CS at home since 2019, when they won consecutive league titles. Hikaru Takahashi, who has been a Seibu player for 12 years but has yet to experience pitching in a CS at home, said, ``Honestly, I'm happy. I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of pitching I can do on a stage like that.''

The Belluna Dome has been well attended this season, with over 1.84 million people attending the 72 games hosted (including local stadiums), the highest number since 2005, when actual figures were first announced. The team fought hard and made it to Class A for the first time in four years.

Coach Nishiguchi has had a cool impression since his playing days, but when asked about the significance of holding the CS home stadium, he passionately said, ``The number of fans who support us is different.The cheers from the fans are really big.'' They aim to gain momentum at Belluna Dome and advance to the Japan Series from second place.