TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The DeNA BayStars clinched the third and last Central League Climax Series spot on Wednesday despite losing 4-2 against the pennant-winning Yomiuri Giants.

The BayStars' progress was confirmed after their closest rival, the fourth-place Hiroshima Carp, lost 5-3 against the Yakult Swallows. Yakult's former Major League Baseball outfielder Norichika Aoki went 2-for-4 with a double in the last game of his career.

DeNA will visit second-place Hanshin Tigers at Koshien Stadium in the best-of-three Climax Series first round starting on Oct. 12.

The BayStars were held to two runs over 6-1/3 innings by Giants starter Iori Yamasaki (10-6) at Tokyo Dome, but the defeat did not matter as the Carp fell to their fourth straight loss and dropped out of the Climax Series contention against Yakult.

Keiji Takahashi (8-9) hurled six shutout innings on one hit for the Swallows, with Aoki singling and scoring in the second and doubling in his last trip to the plate in the sixth during his team's sixth straight win.

The 42-year-old moved to the Milwaukee Brewers in 2012 and played in the 2014 World Series as a member of the Kansas City Royals during his six-year MLB career before returning to Yakult. He ended with 2,730 hits from 2,483 games in total in his pro career.

"Thinking this will be my last, the scenery looked different," Aoki said after a home game at Tokyo's Jingu Stadium. "I'm relieved I had a hit in my last game."