Hiroshima Carp closer Ryoji Kuribayashi pitches against the Central League winners Yakult Swallows

Hanshin Tigers and Yasutaka Shiomi of the Yakult Swallows.... MLB-linked slugging outfielder Seiya

Yuhei Nakamura delivers a tie-breaking pinch-hit RBI single in the ninth inning for the Yakult

Shingo Kawabata of the Yakult Swallows has a pinch-hit RBI single in the top of the 12th inning

Yasunobu Okugawa of the Yakult Swallows pitches during a Central League game against the DeNA

The Yakult Swallows celebrate at Yokohama Stadium after clinching the Central League baseball title

Both teams entered Friday's Game 3 of their leagues' Climax Series final stage needing only a tie to advance.... Needing a win to stay alive in the best-of-seven series in which the league champ begins with one win and advances if the series ends in a tie, the Marines took an early lead in the seesaw game.... Shogo Nakamura put the Marines up 1-0 in the third, only for Yuma Mune's two-run sixth-inning homer to give the Buffaloes the lead....

major leaguer who has played in NPB since 2011, first with the Yakult Swallows in the Central League

Keiji Takahashi of the Yakult Swallows pitches against the Orix Buffaloes in Game 2 of the Japan

to its game against the Hiroshima Carp on Saturday and another 30 to see the Giants play the Yakult