Eishin Soyogi homered, tripled and doubled on Thursday to power the Hiroshima Carp to a 9-1 victory over the Tokyo Yakult Swallows and keep his team's slim chances of a Central League pennant alive.

Soyogi capped a four-run first inning at Jingu Stadium with a two-run triple, hit a leadoff solo homer in the third and doubled in a run in Hiroshima's three-run sixth. The Carp, who have seven games left to play, trail the league-leading Yomiuri Giants by six games.

Soyogi went 3-for-4 and drew a walk in the eighth inning, when he needed just a single in his final in plate appearance to bat for the cycle.