Fired up ...

Idle Dragons earn CL title sitting down

Just as Hard Drives (my Daily Yomiuri column) predicted early in September, the Chunichi Dragons won the Central League -- not on the field, but while sitting back at home, watching with the rest of us.
Well, sort of. They certainly raced over to Nagoya Dome quickly enough.
The idle Dragons popped corks on Friday at the dome when the second-place Hansin Tigers fell 5-0 to the Hiroshima Carp at The Zoom behind a four-hitter by newcomer Dioni Soriano (1-3) .
It was the third league title for the Dragons under skipper Hiromitsu Ochiai, the club’s eighth overall and its first since 2006.
Hanshin, with pressure to win out over the final week, fell to last-place Yokohama and fourth-place Hiroshima on back-to-back nights.
Soriano, who was signed to the Carp’s developmental squad in May, was making his seventh start. He earned his first win in Japan.
The lefty from the Dominican Republic had allowed 33 hits in 32 innings before shutting down Hanshin.
Eiishin Soyogi clubbed his 13th homer and had two singles, one an RBI base hit in a four-run fourth.
The Dragons, who won the Japan Series in 2007, will wait as Hanshin and the defending Series champion Yomiuri Giants battle face off in the first stage of the CL Climax Series.
The Dragons host the second stage at Nagoya Dome.

MARINES NAB FINAL SPOT
The Chiba Lotte Marines booted the defending Pacific League champs out of the postseason with a 5-4 win over the Orix Buffaloes at Chiba Marine Stadium.
Saburo Omura had a double and two RBIs, and Toshiaki Imae stroked a two-run homer to back Yoshihisa Naruse (13-11) as Lotte advanced as the third seed.
Omura’s RBI double in the seventh was the difference as the Marines earned the right to face the second-place Seibu Lions for the chance to battle PL champion SoftBank and represent the league in the Japan Series.