Besuboru Like It Oughta Be

Saturday: Giants manager Shigeo Nagashima visits a shrine to pray for victory -- to no avail. Lions maul his team 11-0. Sunday: Series evened with a 1-0 squeaker, thanks to fine pitching by Hiromi Makihara. Tuesday: Giants win in freezing weather. Fans guzzle 3,000 bottles of hot sake to keep warm. Wednesday: A 12-inning thriller. Lions win 6-5. Series tied. Thursday: Grand- slam homer by Giants pinch hitter Koichi Ogata, left, helps clinch a 9-3 victory. Saturday: Giants win 3-1 and clinch the Series for the 18th time.

Watch for TIME's coverage of the Italian ice-hockey season!!!