Shinjiro Hiyama singled with the bases loaded in the eighth inning and lifted the Hanshin Tigers to a 1-0 victory over the Yokohama BayStars at Koshien Stadium on Sunday.
The victory was the 11th in 13 games for the surprising Tigers who sit atop the Central League standings by three games after finishing in the CL cellar the previous four seasons.
Hanshin rookie Yuya Ando (1-0) held Yokohama to two hits over eight innings to earn his first win in pro baseball. Marc Valdes fanned one in a perfect ninth for his fourth save in four chances.
Dragons 2, Giants 0
At Tokyo Dome, Kenta Asakura (2-1) scattered six hits over eight innings and Chunichi ended a three-game losing streak against the Giants.
Carp 5, Swallows 4
At Hiroshima Stadium, Eddy Diaz and Takahiro Arai both homered in the fifth inning and drove in two runs each as the Carp edged Yakult.
PACIFIC LEAGUE
Fighters 7, Buffaloes 3
At the Osaka Dome, Sherman Obando connected for a three-run homer in the first and Tetsuya Ide and Michihiro Ogasawara drove in a pair of runs as Nippon Ham downed Kintetsu.
Lions 17, Hawks 7
Kazuo Matsui went 3-for-6 with a homer and scored four times as Seibu reclaimed first place.
Marines 4, BlueWave 1
In Kobe, Kiyoshi Hatsushiba belted his first homer of the season and Naoyuki Shimizu (1-0) struck out seven over 6 1/3 innings as Lotte beat Orix for its first victory of the season after 11 straight losses.