The Seibu Lions clinched their first Pacific League championship in four years Saturday when the second-place Daiei Hawks failed to beat the Nippon Ham Fighters at the Tokyo Dome.
The Lions, who earlier in the day lost to the Chiba Lotte Marines, watched on television as the Hawks tied with the Nippon Ham Fighters 1-1 to grant them their 14th overall PL title.
"I am extremely happy, and at the same time I am very relieved that we were able to win the pennant, " Seibu manager Haruki Ihara said at a celebratory press conference.