Kazuma Okamoto hit a pair of solo home runs to help lift the Yomiuri Giants to a 3-2 come-from-behind win over the Central League-leading Hanshin Tigers, whose winning streak was snapped at eight games on Wednesday.
Trailing 2-0 in the second, Okamoto, last year’s CL home run leader, opened the second inning against side-armer Koyo Aoyagi (2-1) with his second home run of the season. His third homer, with one out in the fourth, tied it 2-2.
The Giants took the lead on a Naoki Yoshikawa single after Okamoto led off the sixth with an infield single.
A night after the Tigers hit five home runs at Tokyo Dome, the visitors hit two in the top of the first against Seishu Hatake (2-1), who worked six innings and could have easily surrendered more.
Tigers leadoff man Koji Chikamoto and No. 3 hitter Jefry Marte each went deep in the first. Marte’s was his fourth home run in three games. The Tigers nearly made it 3-0 in the second after Hatake issued a leadoff walk, but a running grab at the warning track by Giants right fielder Takayuki Kajitani saved a run.
“My pitching wasn’t all that good, especially at the start, but the guys made great plays behind me, and we were able to get through it,” said Hatake, who struck out seven and walked one while allowing five hits.
Four relievers finished up for the Giants with flame-throwing Brazilian Thyago Vieira earning his first save.
Dragons 7, BayStars 1
At Yokohama Stadium, Akiyoshi Katsuno (2-1) allowed a run over seven innings for Chunichi in a win over last-place DeNA.
Swallows 1, Carp 1
At Hiroshima’s Mazda Stadium, Tsubasa Aizawa’s sixth-inning sacrifice fly brought the Carp from behind in a tie with Yakult.
Pacific League
Hawks 4, Eagles 1
At Fukuoka’s PayPayDome, 40-year-old lefty Tsuyoshi Wada (2-1) allowed a run over 5⅓ innings and Yurisbel Gracial drove in two runs as the Pacific League-leading Hawks beat Tohoku Rakuten.
Buffaloes 4, Lions 2
At Osaka’s Kyocera Dome, Orix’s Yuma Mune’s two-run home run broke a 2-2 tie in the seventh inning.
Marines 6, Fighters 5
At Chiba’s Zozo Marine Stadium, Hiromi Oka hit a two-run two-out ninth-inning walk-off home run against his former team to lift the Marines to a victory.
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Source : Baseball – The Japan Times
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