Home runs from Tetsuto Yamada, Munetaka Murakami and Yasutaka Shiomi powered the Tokyo Yakult Swallows to an 8-2 victory over the Hiroshima Carp in the Central League on Wednesday.
Yamada put the Japan Series champions on the board in the opening frame at Mazda Stadium, blasting a solo shot to left off a 1-1 fastball from Hiroshima starter Hiroki Tokoda (2-1).
The Swallows added three runs in the second, with Shiomi finding the gap to left for two RBIs and Yamada grounding through center for another.
Murakami went deep in the fourth, launching righty Takuya Yasaki’s second pitch over center to score Yamada, who finished 4-for-4 with two runs, two RBIs and a walk.
It was the sixth long bomb of the season for the 22-year-old Murakami, the CL’s reigning MVP and last year’s joint home run champion with Yomiuri Giant Kazuma Okamoto.
Shiomi led off the sixth with a solo to right off Ryuya Matsumoto en route to a 2-for-5 night with two runs and three RBIs.
Juri Hara (2-2) went eight innings deep for the win, striking out a pair while allowing two runs on seven hits and a walk.
Elsewhere in the CL, the league-leading Giants hammered the DeNA BayStars 8-2 and the Hanshin Tigers beat the Chunichi Dragons 3-1.
In the Pacific League, the Seibu Lions overran the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks 8-2, and the Orix Buffaloes defeated the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters 4-2.
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Source : Baseball – The Japan Times