Orix Buffaloes and Tokyo Yakult Swallows reach the Japan Series

Both the Orix Buffaloes and the Tokyo Yakult Swallows will meet each other in the Japan Series after both teams tied their competitors (Chiba Lotte Marines in the Pacific League and the Tokyo Yomiuri Giants in the Central League) in the final game of the Climax Series Final Stage.

Because both were the winners of their respective league, both get a 1-0 advantage in the playoffs. And both teams would shut out their opponents for the next two games. So, the final fourth win, may it be a win or a tie would have either team advance to the Japan Series. The Buffaloes tied 3-3 against the Lotte Marines, and the Swallows tied 2-2 against the Yomiuri Giants.

Both teams were last place in 2020 and now both are facing each other in the Japan Series. For either team, a win would be a long time coming, considering the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks have been dominant for so many years.

For the Orix Buffaloes, they have not won a Japan Series since 1996 and since the merger between the Orix BlueWave and the Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes, the team have always had a poor showing each season. So, a win would be a new chapter for the team. But also the first win for an Osaka team in a very long time, to the chagrin of the Central League team, the Hanshin Tigers (who’s last championship was back in 1985).

For the Tokyo Yakult Swallows, it’s also been a long time since they have won the Japan Series. Their last was back in 2001, while the group did make it into the 2015 Japan Series. A win would also solidify a new beginning for the Tokyo-based team, who has often been overshadowed by their crosstown rivals, the Yomiuri Giants (NPB’s most winning team at 22 championships, but have not won the Japan Series since 2012).

A win by the Tokyo Yakult Swallows will dispel any notion that a Central League can never beat a Pacific League team, as the Pacific League is looked at the most dominant league, as the Pacific League has only had three losses in the Japan Series since 2003. The last time a Central League has won a Japan Series, was the Yomiuri Giants of 2012.

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