Giants capture Central League championship

Yomiuri Giants manager Tatsunori Hara is hoisted by his team members at Yokohama Stadium on Saturday after winning the Central League championship. (Credit: The Yomiuri Shimbun)

The Yomiuri Giants captured the Central League pennant for the first time in five years, beating second-place Yokohama DeNA Baystars at Yokohama Stadium on Saturday.

Tatsunori Hara returned as manager this season for his third time in the role, and guided the team to a steady performance by combining young and veteran players. Hara became the Giants' manager for the first time in 2002. He led the team to seven league championships and three Japan Series titles during two stints that totaled 12 years, before stepping down in 2015.

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