The Yomiuri Giants trailed the Chunichi Dragons for 8 2/3 innings on Saturday afternoon. When Shinnosuke Abe finally gave them the lead, it was for keeps.
Abe ended the second game of the season with a sayonara three-run home run that gave the Giants a 4-2 victory over the Dragons in front of a crowd of 44,351 at Tokyo Dome.
"I was just hoping for a chance," Abe said. "When (Hayato) Sakamoto walked, I knew I had a chance to tie or win the game with a hit, and just looked for a good pitch to hit."