After all was said and done, this weekend completely reflected the way both teams played toward the end of the pennant race.
The Seibu Lions maintained their momentum from their surge late in the regular-season surge, while Hokkaido Nippon Ham failed to regain its top form from early in 2011.
Seibu again made a late offensive surge, scoring seven runs in the last two frames, and the Lions completed a two-game sweep of the Fighters with an 8-1 victory in Game 2 of the Pacific League Climax Series first stage on Sunday.