SoftBank's Dennis Sarfate earned his 46th save of the season, matching the Nippon Professional Baseball record as the Hawks beat the Rakuten Eagles 3-1 on Saturday to secure a spot in the best-of-three Climax Series.
Before 38,585 at Yafuoku Dome, Sarfate entered the mound in the ninth. He allowed a soft single to Hiroaki Shimauchi but retired the next three batters in order to seal the win for the Pacific League-leading Hawks.
The 36-year-old American right-hander matched the record shared by the Chunichi Dragons' Hiroki Iwase (2005) and the Hanshin Tigers' Kyuji Fujikawa (2007).
"It's an honor," said Sarfate, who joined the Hawks in 2014 after playing for Hiroshima Carp and Seibu Lions.
"I have a lot of respect for Iwase san and Fujikawa san. Since I got here, those were the guys I always watch pitch so it's an absolute honor."
Due to his wife's health issues, his family had not been with him earlier in the season when he broke Marc Kroon's record for foreign closers, but this time he had a large contingent in the stands.
"The best part is they're here," Sarfate said. "Anytime you can have family with you is the best, and for them to be able to enjoy this with me is a blessing."
With 22 games left in the season, Sarfate has a chance to become the first pitcher to earn 50 saves in a Japanese season.
"Man, I'm getting old. I don't know how much I've got left in me, but I'm getting old," Sarfate said. "As long as I keep working hard and god continues to bless me with good health, I'm gonna keep going."
SoftBank's Kodai Senga (12-3) allowed a run in 7-2/3 innings, earning his 12th win of the season, matching the career best he set last season. The 24-year-old allowed three hits and three walks while striking out seven, as the Hawks earned their third consecutive win.
Keizo Kawashima opened the scoring in the bottom of the third with an RBI double off Rakuten starter Wataru Karashima (8-7).
Rakuten's Louis Okoye singled and scored the tying run in the top of the sixth, but Akira Nakamura broke the tie in the bottom of the inning with an RBI single.
"I was able to concentrate well," said Nakamura, who also broke a 0-0 tie the previous day against Rakuten. "I want to hit more, but there are times when I can't so I think I am taking chances so I think I have good balance."
Seiji Uebayashi singled and scored an eight-inning insurance run on a Kenta Imamiya sac fly.
Karashima allowed two runs on five hits and two walks, while striking out seven over pitching seven innings. However, it was not enough to prevent Rakuten from losing nine straight games for the first time since May of last year.
-----
Buffaloes 4, Lions 2
At Kyocera Dome, Masahiro Nishino hit a second-inning double to break a 1-1 tie, and Hikaru Ito singled, homered and scored twice, as Orix beat Seibu.
==Kyodo
