Yuji Yoshioka and Kenshi Kawaguchi connected for a pair of two-run homers and Jeremy Powell held the Daiei Hawks to three runs over 7 1/3 innings to give the Kintetsu Buffaloes a 4-3 victory on Saturday.
Powell (9-3) gave up nine hits, but held the Hawks to just three runs to take over the league lead in wins while Akira Okamoto recorded the final four outs for a PL-high 17th save.
CENTRAL LEAGUE
Tigers 4, BayStars 3 (10)
Pinch-hitter Koji Hirashita blooped a soft liner into short left field that glanced off the glove of Yokohama shortstop Takuro Ishii to score the winning run as Hanshin edged the BayStars to snap an eight-game losing streak.
Akihiro Yano, who had doubled aboard with two out, scored the winning run from second base at Koshien Stadium as the Tigers posted only their fourth win (against 13 losses) in the month of June.
Swallows 9, Giants 6
At Jingu Stadium, Yakult overcame a four-run deficit and then rallied for three runs in the eighth inning to beat the Giants.
Atsuya Furuta went 3-for-5 and keyed the Swallows' eighth-inning uprising with an RBI single to make a winner of reliever Ryota Igarashi, who had struck out the side in Yomiuri's half of the frame.
Carp 10, Dragons 4
At the Nagoya Dome, Tomoaki Kanemoto hit a three-run homer in the fifth inning and Luis Lopez tripled home three more runs in the seventh inning as Hiroshima completed a three-game sweep of Chunichi.