Tsubasa Aizawa broke a 5-5 tie in the eighth with a two-run triple to help the Hiroshima Carp rally past the Chunichi Dragons 8-5 on Tuesday.
Chunichi reliever Shinji Tajima (3-5) walked one batter and hit another before a 54-minute rain delay. Tajima returned to the mound and, after a sacrifice bunt put men on second and third, made a good 1-2 pitch to Aizawa, but the Carp catcher drilled it to the gap in right. Takayoshi Noma plated Aizawa home for an 8-5 lead with a single off Akifumi Takahashi to put the game beyond the Dragons' reach at Mazda Stadium.
"I was only thinking of putting the ball into play. Our pitchers were hanging in there and I wanted to ease their burden," said Aizawa, who was the Game 2 MVP of the All-Star Serieshere on Saturday.