2018 Pacific League Climax Series

The 2018 Pacific League Climax Series (PLCS) consisted of two consecutive series, Stage 1 being a best-of-three series and Stage 2 being a best-of-six with the top seed being awarded a one-win advantage. The winner of the series advanced to the 2018 Japan Series, where they competed against the 2018 Central League Climax Series winner. The top three regular-season finishers played in the two series. The PLCS began on with the first game of Stage 1 on October 13.

2018 Pacific League Climax Series
First stage
Team (Wins) Manager Season Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (2) Kimiyasu Kudo 82–60–1 (.577), 6½ GB Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters (1) Hideki Kuriyama 74–66–3 (.529), 13½ GB
Dates	October 13–15
Final stage
Team (Wins) Manager Season Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (4) Kimiyasu Kudo 82–60–1 (.577), 6½ GB Saitama Seibu Lions (2) Hatsuhiko Tsuji 88–53–2 (.624), 6½ GA
Dates	October 17–21
MVP	Yuki Yanagita (Hawks)
← 2017 Climax Series 2019 → 2018 CLCS               2018 Japan Series

First stage

Summary

Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks won the series, 2–1.

Game	Date	Score	Location	Time	Attendance
1	October 13	Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters – 3, Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks – 8	Yafuoku Dome	3:35	35,301[1]
2	October 14	Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters – 4, Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks – 2	Yafuoku Dome	3:32	38,125[2]
3	October 15	Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters – 2, Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks – 5	Yafuoku Dome	3:46	37,794[3]

Game 1

Saturday, October 13, 2018, 1:01 pm (JST) at Fukuoka Yahuoku! Dome in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Nippon-Ham	1	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	3	7	0
SoftBank	5	0	2	0	0	1	0	0	X	8	12	0
WP: Shota Takeda (1–0)   LP: Naoyuki Uwasawa (0–1) Home runs: NIP: Kensuke Kondo (1) SOF: Alfredo Despaigne (1), Takuya Kai (1) Attendance: 35,301

Game 2

Sunday, October 14, 2018, 1:00 pm (JST) at Fukuoka Yahuoku! Dome in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Nippon-Ham	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	2	0	4	7	0
SoftBank	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	2	6	1
WP: Nick Martinez (1–0)   LP: Ren Kajiya (0–1)   Sv: Naoya Ishikawa (1) Home runs: NIP: Toshitake Yokoo (1) SOF: Akira Nakamura (1) Attendance: 38,125

Game 3

Monday, October 15, 2018, 6:01 pm (JST) at Fukuoka Yahuoku! Dome in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Nippon-Ham	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	2	8	1
SoftBank	1	0	0	2	0	2	0	0	X	5	12	1
WP: Shuta Ishikawa (1–0)   LP: Toshihiro Sugiura (0–1)   Sv: Yuito Mori (1) Home runs: NIP: Toshitake Yokoo (2) SOF: Kenji Akashi (1), Alfredo Despaigne 2 (3), Nobuhiro Matsuda (1), Akira Nakamura (2) Attendance: 38,125

Final stage

Summary

Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks won the series, 4–2*.

Game	Date	Score	Location	Time	Attendance
1	October 17	Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks – 10, Saitama Seibu Lions – 4	MetLife Dome	3:25	31,961[4]
2	October 18	Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks – 5, Saitama Seibu Lions – 13	MetLife Dome	3:30	31,106[5]
3	October 19	Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks – 15, Saitama Seibu Lions – 4	MetLife Dome	3:30	31,238[6]
4	October 20	Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks – 8, Saitama Seibu Lions – 2	MetLife Dome	3:31	32,170[7]
5	October 21	Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks – 6, Saitama Seibu Lions – 5	MetLife Dome	3:26	31,532[8]

* The Pacific League regular season champion is given a one-game advantage in the Final Stage.

Game 1

Wednesday, October 17, 2018, 6:01 pm (JST) at MetLife Dome in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
SoftBank	1	0	0	5	0	1	3	0	0	10	16	1
Seibu	0	0	2	1	0	1	0	0	0	4	8	1
WP: Rick van den Hurk (1–0)   LP: Yusei Kikuchi (0–1) Home runs: SOF: None SEI: Takumi Kuriyama (1), Hotaka Yamakawa (1) Attendance: 31,961

Game 2

Thursday, October 18, 2018, 6:00 pm (JST) at MetLife Dome in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
SoftBank	0	3	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	5	8	1
Seibu	3	4	1	0	0	1	4	0	X	13	11	1
WP: Shinsaburo Tawata (1–0)   LP: Ariel Miranda (0–1) Home runs: SOF: None SEI: Takumi Kuriyama (2), Hideto Asamura (1) Attendance: 31,106

Game 3

Friday, October 19, 2018, 6:00 pm (JST) at MetLife Dome in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
SoftBank	0	0	4	3	5	1	0	0	2	15	16	0
Seibu	0	0	0	1	0	0	2	1	0	4	8	1
WP: Kodai Senga (1–0)   LP: Daiki Enokida (0–1) Home runs: SOF: Seiji Uebayashi (1), Seiichi Uchikawa (1) SEI: Hotaka Yamakawa (2), Shuta Tonosaki (1) Attendance: 31,238

Game 4

Saturday, October 20, 2018, 2:00 pm (JST) at MetLife Dome in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
SoftBank	2	2	0	0	0	0	4	0	0	8	11	0
Seibu	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	5	1
WP: Shota Takeda (1–0)   LP: Tatsuya Imai (0–1) Home runs: SOF: Yuki Yanagita (1), Takuya Kai (1) SEI: Fumikazu Kimura (1) Attendance: 32,170

Game 5

Sunday, October 21, 2018, 1:01 pm (JST) at MetLife Dome in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
SoftBank	3	0	0	0	0	1	0	2	0	6	12	0
Seibu	0	0	0	0	2	1	0	1	1	5	9	0
WP: Shuta Ishikawa (1–0)   LP: Brian Wolfe (0–1)   Sv: Yuito Mori (1) Home runs: SOF: Yuki Yanagita (2) SEI: Hideto Asamura (2), Takeya Nakamura (1) Attendance: 32,170