The 2008 Japan Series was the 59th edition of Nippon Professional Baseball's championship series. The best-of-seven playoff between the respective champions of the Central League's and the Pacific League's Climax Series (postseason) began on Saturday, November 1, 2008, and went the full seven games. The deciding Game 7 took place on Sunday, November 9.

Climax Series

First StageSecond StageJapan Series
Central League1Yomiuri Giants3
2Hanshin Tigers13Chunichi Dragons1
3Chunichi Dragons2CL1Yomiuri Giants3
PL1Saitama Seibu Lions4
Pacific League1Saitama Seibu Lions4
2Orix Buffaloes03Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters2
3Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters2

Summary

Saitama Seibu Lions won the series, 4–3.

GameDateScoreLocationTimeAttendance
1November 1Saitama Seibu Lions – 2, Yomiuri Giants – 1Tokyo Dome2:4544,757
2November 2Saitama Seibu Lions – 2, Yomiuri Giants – 3Tokyo Dome3:1844,814
3November 4Yomiuri Giants – 6, Saitama Seibu Lions – 4Seibu Dome3:1424,495
4November 5Yomiuri Giants – 0, Saitama Seibu Lions – 5Seibu Dome2:5327,930
5November 7Yomiuri Giants – 7, Saitama Seibu Lions – 3Seibu Dome3:3128,763
6November 8Saitama Seibu Lions – 4, Yomiuri Giants – 1Tokyo Dome3:2444,749
7November 9Saitama Seibu Lions – 3, Yomiuri Giants – 2Tokyo Dome3:2044,737

Game summaries

Game 1

Saturday, November 1, 2008, 6:15 pm (JST) at Tokyo Dome in Bunkyō, Tokyo
Team123456789RHE
Saitama Seibu000011000261
Yomiuri000100000120
WP: Hideaki Wakui LP: Koji Uehara Sv: Alex Graman Home runs: SEI: Taketoshi Gotoh (1), Hiroyuki Nakajima (1) YOM: None

Game 2

Sunday, November 2, 2008, 6:17 pm (JST) at Tokyo Dome in Bunkyō, Tokyo
Team123456789RHE
Saitama Seibu000200000230
Yomiuri010001001380
WP: Daisuke Ochi LP: Shinya Okamoto[ja] Home runs: SEI: Hiroyuki Nakajima (2) YOM: Alex Ramírez (1)

Game 3

Tuesday, November 4, 2008, 6:18 pm (JST) at Seibu Dome in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture
Team123456789RHE
Yomiuri130001010680
Saitama Seibu000004000470
WP: Tetsuya Utsumi LP: Kazuhisa Ishii Sv: Marc Kroon Home runs: YOM: Takahiro Suzuki (1), Alex Ramírez (2), Michihiro Ogasawara (1) SEI: Takeya Nakamura (1)

Game 4

Wednesday, November 5, 2008, 6:18 pm (JST) at Seibu Dome in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture
Team123456789RHE
Yomiuri000000000040
Saitama Seibu10020200x570
WP: Takayuki Kishi LP: Seth Greisinger Home runs: YOM: None SEI: Takeya Nakamura (2, 3)

Takayuki Kishi tossed a 147-pitch, complete-game shutout, striking out 10 Giants in the process. His opponent, Seth Greisinger, gave up 5 runs in as many innings, continuing his season-long struggles against the Lions. Tempers flared in the 4th when Greisinger hit Seibu shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima on the elbow with a pitch. The two started shouting at each other, and the benches cleared. No punches were thrown, but the next batter, Takeya Nakamura, crushed his first home run of the day to extend Seibu's lead to 3-0. Nakamura would strike again in the 6th off Greisinger with another 2-run blast to end the scoring.

Game 5

Friday, November 7, 2008, 6:17 pm (JST) at Seibu Dome in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture
Team123456789RHE
Yomiuri0100004027102
Saitama Seibu1010000013130
WP: Kentaro Nishimura (1–0) LP: Hideaki Wakui (1–1) Home runs: YOM: Shinnosuke Abe (1) SEI: Hiroshi Hirao (1)

Game 6

Saturday, November 8, 2008, 6:15 pm (JST) at Tokyo Dome in Bunkyō, Tokyo
Team123456789RHE
Saitama Seibu3000100004100
Yomiuri0100000001100
WP: Takayuki Kishi LP: Hisanori Takahashi Home runs: SEI: Hiroshi Hirao (2) YOM: None

Kishi came through again with 5+2⁄3 innings of shutout ball in relief of Seibu starter Kazuyuki Hoashi after Hoashi got into trouble in the 4th. The unsung hero of the Series, Hiroshi Hirao, crushed a 3-run home run to give the Lions a 3–0 lead off veteran lefty starter Hisanori Takahashi in the first. Takahashi only lasted 2 innings, giving up 3 runs on 5 hits, walking 2 and striking out 2.

Game 7

Sunday, November 9, 2008, 6:16 pm (JST) at Tokyo Dome in Bunkyō, Tokyo
Team123456789RHE
Saitama Seibu000010020360
Yomiuri011000000220
WP: Tomoki Hoshino LP: Daisuke Ochi Sv: Alex Graman Home runs: SEI: Hiram Bocachica (1) YOM: Hayato Sakamoto (1)

The critical inning was the 8th. Daisuke Ochi came in for the Giants to keep the Lions at bay, but Ochi got off to a bad start by hitting Kataoka. Kataoka then stole second, and he was sacrificed to 3rd. Hiroyuki Nakajima then hit a slow ground ball to 3rd, and Kataoka's speed allowed him to beat the throw home, tying the game up at 2. Ochi then proceeded to walk the next two batters, then Hiroshi Hirao, on a 3-1 pitch, lined a breaking ball back up the middle to score Takeya Nakamura and give Seibu the lead. Alex Graman closed out the Giants in the 9th to give the Lions their first Japan Series Championship since 2004.

See also