Yusuke Nomura threw six shutout innings and Kosuke Tanaka scored three runs Thursday to put the Hiroshima Carp on the verge of their first Japan Series since 1991.
Before 31,264 at Mazda Stadium, Tanaka reached base and scored his first two times up, and then purchased some insurance with a solo homer to lead off the eighth in a 3-0 Game 2 win over the Yokohama BayStars in the Central League Climax Series Final Stage.
As league champs, the Carp started the six-game series with a one-win advantage and can clinch if the series ends in a tie. So after two shutout wins in Hiroshima, they could wrap it up with a tie in Game 3.