Katsuki Akagawa, Ryoji Aikawa and Ryosuke Morioka stood on the podium near home plate as the cheers of Tokyo Yakult supporters rang out through the night air at Jingu Stadium on Monday night.
The Swallows had just earned their biggest win in years -- perhaps since the clinching fifth game of the 2001 Japan Series -- and the aforementioned trio had played a large role in the evening's 3-1 triumph over the hated Yomiuri Giants in the decisive third game of the Central League Climax Series first stage.
The three had taken wildly different paths to get to this point, but the laden promise of their unlikely convergence in Tokyo three seasons ago came into fruition just in time to point the Swallows to their first trip to the final stage of the Climax Series.