Veteran pinch hitter Hiroshi Yagi drove in the game-winning run on a bases-loaded single in the bottom of the eighth inning and rookie reliever Yuya Kubo let another run score on a wild pitch as the Hanshin Tigers downed the Yomiuri Giants 8-6 in the Central League on Tuesday night.
The Tigers took an early 3-0 lead through the third in front of 53,000 at Koshien Stadium but Roberto Petagine's grand slam -- his 10th -- in the sixth gave the Giants a one-run lead before Hanshin tied the game 5-5 in the bottom of the frame.
After the Giants went up 6-5 in the seventh, Akihiro Yano leveled the game with a run-scoring single with two out in the eighth.
Yuya Ando (1-0), Hanshin's fifth pitcher of night, got two outs for the win and Jeff Williams closed out the ninth for his seventh save. Tomoaki Kanemoto went 3-for-4 with three RBIs.