TOKYO, Sept 15 (Reuters) - Osaka police breathed a sigh of relief on Friday after no serious incidents were reported in the wake of the Hanshin Tigers' first Central League title win in 18 years as fans kept a lid on their celebrations. Police deployed 1,300 officers in the downtown area on Thursday evening as the Tigers took on the Yomiuri Giants needing one more win to secure the pennant. More than 5,000 people were estimated to have jumped into the river after the team's 2003 title win, leading to fatalities. "Tigers fans were much more calm than we had expected," said Satoshi Oshimo, an Osaka prefecture police officer. The Tigers will look to build on their regular season success by winning the Japan Series for just the second time.

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Persons: Colonel Sanders, Satoshi Oshimo, Junko Fujita, Peter Rutherford, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Hanshin Tigers, Central League, . Police, Tigers, Yomiuri Giants, Koshien, KFC, Japan, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Osaka, Seoul