Roberto Petagine hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning and Kevin Hodges threw 6 1/3 scoreless innings Thursday as the Yakult Swallows beat the Hanshin Tigers 2-0 in the Central League.

Yakult's victory salvaged the final game of a three-game set with the Tigers at Jingu Stadium and halted Hanshin's winning streak at three.

Petagine arched a weak offering from Hanshin starter Tetsuro Kawajiri (0-1) into the right-field stands for his 18th homer of the season to break a scoreless tie in the sixth inning.

The Venezuelan slugger, who topped the CL in homers in 1999 and 2001, tied Hanshin's George Arias for the lead in the league's home-run derby.

Hodges (10-2), meanwhile, took over the league lead in wins by holding Hanshin scoreless on three hits and five walks for his seventh straight win.

Giants 5, Dragons 4
At the Tokyo Dome, Hideki Matsui tripled home a pair of runs in the third inning and then scored on Kazuhiro Kiyohara's single to lift Yomiuri over Chunichi.

Masumi Kuwata (4-5) was charged with three runs over seven-plus innings of work, but was credited with the win as the league-leading Giants completed a three-game sweep of the series with Chunichi.

The Dragons lost six in a row for the first time this season.

BayStars 6, Carp 5
In Yokohama, Takahiro Saeki brought home the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth with a bloop single that lifted Yokohama over Hiroshima.

The BayStars, who had 14 hits through seven innings, left 10 runners stranded to give Hiroshima the chance to come back and tie the game 5-5 before Saeki's hit put Yokohama over the top.

Fighters get green light

The executive committee of Japanese professional baseball (NPB) on Thursday approved the move of the Nippon Ham Fighters from Tokyo to Hokkaido for the 2004 season.

The final step in formalizing the move, which will make the Pacific League club the "Sapporo Nippon Ham Fighters," is expected next Tuesday when the owners committee is expected to approve it.

The Fighters will become the first Japanese baseball team to relocate the franchise since 1992, when the Lotte Marines moved from Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, to Chiba.

The Seibu Lions of the Pacific League had originally opposed Nippon Ham's move to Hokkaido because of its own plans to use Sapporo Dome as a second home ballpark away from Seibu Dome in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture.

Seibu later withdrew its opposition to the move after officials of the two teams met in June.

Also on Thursday, officials of the Central League asked that clubs in their league be allowed to hold games in Sapporo Dome.

Nippon Ham club president Takeshi Kojima agreed to the request.

Jojima not available

Organizers for next week's Japanese baseball All-Star Games said Thursday that Daiei Hawks catcher Kenji Jojima will miss the two-game series because of a broken collarbone.

Jojima, who was elected catcher for the Pacific League squad in fan balloting, will be replaced by Kintetsu Buffaloes backstop Tetsuya Matoyama.

Jojima fractured his right collarbone in a game against the Nippon Ham Fighters on June 10 when he took a foul tip in the right shoulder.