If the Tokyo Yakult Swallows go on to win the Central League pennant, as most expect them to do, the club and its fans might look back at the three-game sweep of the Yokohama BayStars this past weekend as the critical point in the race.
The aura of near-invincibility the Swallows built over the first half of the season had dissipated in late July and early August, as a once double-digit lead in the CL standings was whittled down to four. That, combined with a road series against a red-hot BayStars team that had won 17 straight at home, set the stage for Yokohama to turn up the pressure on Yakult to the maximum level.
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Source : Baseball – The Japan Times