The 2024 Japan Series saw the Yokohama DeNA BayStars emerge as champions, clinching their first title in 26 years by defeating the favored Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in six games. This victory was particularly remarkable as the BayStars, who finished third in the Central League standings, pulled off a significant upset. After losing the first two games to the Hawks, DeNA rallied spectacularly, including a stretch where their pitchers held the powerful Hawks offense scoreless for 29 consecutive innings, showcasing their resilience and culminating in a triumphant return to the top of Japanese baseball.
🔗 2025 Nippon Series Schedule (Official Source)
The 2023 Japan Series delivered an exhilarating "Kansai Derby" as the Hanshin Tigers and the Orix Buffaloes, both hailing from the Osaka region, battled it out in a thrilling seven-game series. After splitting the first two games with decisive blowouts, the series became a seesaw affair, marked by dramatic come-from-behind victories and clutch hitting. The Tigers ultimately prevailed 4-3 in the final game at Orix's home, Kyocera Dome, ending their agonizing 38-year championship drought and sending their famously passionate fanbase into euphoric celebration, finally putting an end to the fabled "Curse of the Colonel."
The 2022 Japan Series was a highly anticipated rematch between the reigning champions, the Central League's Tokyo Yakult Swallows, and the Pacific League's Orix Buffaloes, who were seeking redemption after losing to Yakult in the previous year's series. The series was a hard-fought battle, even including a rare Game 2 tie. Despite the Swallows initially taking a lead, the Orix Buffaloes mounted an incredible comeback, winning four consecutive games to clinch their first Japan Series title in 26 years (and first under the Buffaloes moniker). This dramatic victory showcased the Buffaloes' resilience and featured stellar performances, including from star pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto and slugger Masataka Yoshida.
The 2021 Japan Series featured a captivating "worst-to-first" narrative, pitting the Central League champions Tokyo Yakult Swallows against the Pacific League's Orix Buffaloes, both of whom had finished in last place in their respective leagues the previous season. The series proved to be a nail-biter, with five of the six games decided by a single run. For the victorious Yakult Swallows, Munetaka Murakami, who was already an emerging superstar, played a crucial role, contributing his powerful bat throughout the series as the team ultimately triumphed 4-2 to claim their first Japan Series title in 20 years.
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i = 0;
while (!deck.isInOrder()) {
print 'Iteration ' + i;
deck.shuffle();
i++;
}
print 'It took ' + i + ' iterations to sort the deck.';