Lotte Marines win Japan Series with American manager

South Korean outfielder Lee Seung-yeop drove in all three runs on Wednesday, leading Bobby Valentine's Chiba Lotte Marines to a 3-2 win over the Hanshin Tigers and their first Japan Series title in 31 years.

Lotte is the first team to sweep a Japan Series since 2002, when the Yomiuri Giants defeated the Seibu Lions. Valentine, meanwhile, becomes the first foreign manager in the 70-year history of Japanese baseball to win a Japan Series.

"I feel wonderful," said Valentine. "We started in spring training with a dream to be here for the last game. We wanted to win the last game and we did."

Valentine, who took the New York Mets to the World Series in 2000 where they lost in five games to the New York Yankees, is in his second stint with the Marines. He guided the team to a second-place finish in 1995.

"I would like to thank everyone in the Lotte organization," said Valentine. "Including [team owner] Mr. Shigemitsu, who had the faith to bring me back for a second time."

Lee connected for a two-run homer in the second inning at Koshien Stadium to give the Marines a 2-0 lead and then drove in a run in the third with a double off Hanshin starter Naohisa Sugiyama.

Lotte starter Dan Serafini gave up two runs on five hits over 5-1/3 innings for the win.

Makoto Imaoka drove in a run with a bloop single in the bottom of the sixth to make it 3-1. Pinch-hitter Shinjiro Hiyama hit a single to right to cut the lead to one run.

After Lotte reliever Masahide Kobayashi walked Atsushi Kataoka to leadoff the ninth. Akihiro Yano then hit into a double play on a failed sacrifice bunt before Kobayashi struck out Atsushi Fujimoto to end the game.

Toshiaki Imae was named the series MVP after going 10-for-15 with four RBIs. He also set a new Japan Series record for consecutive hits when he went 8-for-8 in the first two games.