Seibu 2, at SoftBank 1

FUKUOKA, Japan (Interstat) — In a stunning reversal of expectations, the Saitama Seibu Lions, powered by a dominant pitching performance from Kona Takahashi and timely home runs, edged the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks 2-1 on Wednesday night at a sold-out Fukuoka Yahuoku! Dome. The result defied both the oddsmakers and statistical projections, as the Lions, heavy underdogs, managed to even their three-game series at a game apiece before a crowd of 38,097. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a 7-1 Hawks victory, giving SoftBank a 72.8% probability to win. The teams combined for only three total runs, dramatically staying under an over/under… Read more...