It seems as if the Asia Series has turned into the Nippon Professional Baseball Invitational Challenge yet again.
Well, actually it's now known as the Japan-Korea Club Championship, with China's teams unable to save its former identity.
Nevertheless, it was more of the same. For the fifth straight year, Japan's champion has risen to the accolade of Beast from the Far East.
This year it was the Yomiuri Giants, who took Korea's Kia Tigers to the woodshed at Nagasaki's Big N Stadium, 9-4.
The Tigers, led by Na Ji-Wan, stormed out of the gates early with a 3-0 lead. Giants starting pitcher Dicky Gonzalez gave up one run in the third and reliever Tetsuya Utsumi surrendered two in the fifth.
Eventually that lead would evaporate.
Yomiuri, who destroyed the competition en route to their 21st Japan Series ring, wore down the champions of the Korea Baseball Organization by launching the big guns: Michihiro Ogasawara and Shinnosuke Abe.
Kia's pitching staff, led by Gwak Jeong Cheol and Yang Hyeon Jong, were unable to brace themselves for the onslaught that was to come.
Ogasawara scored on a solo home run in the sixth while Abe's t...
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