The DeNA BayStars set up a rematch of the 2017 Japan Series with the SoftBank Hawks by capturing a thrilling Central League Foreplay Series final stage Monday.

In other news, Thursday is draft day, when we may or may not hear what decision Tsuyoshi Shinjo will make about staying on as Nippon Ham Fighters manager. My guess is that after helping raise the team that reached the final stage of the PL playoffs, he’ll have an option to sign a one-year contract or not.

BayStars 3, Giants 2: At Tokyo Dome, needing a win to avoid elimination, the BayStars came from two runs down and Keito Mori made up for a costly first-inning throwing error by driving in one run and scoring two as third-place DeNA repeated its 2017 feat of reaching the Japan Series.

The Giants took the lead on two first-inning walks and a wild throw by shortstop Mori. They  made it 2-0 thanks to more of the hustle from Hayato Sakamoto that helped the Giants win Game 4. Sakamoto, who on Friday told me he’s never hit as poorly as he has this season when he wasn’t hurt, legged out a fourth-inning leadoff double, took third on a fly to the left-field warning track and scored, as he did in Game 4, on a safety squeeze, this time from pitcher Shosei Togo.