Kosuke Fukudome nailed a three-run homer in the eighth inning and singled home the go-ahead run in the ninth as the Chunichi Dragons came from behind to beat the Yomiuri Giants 7-5 at Tokyo Dome on Friday for their third straight win.
Trailing 5-0 in the eighth with none out and runners on the corners, Takayuki Onishi hit an RBI single before Fukudome drilled his ninth homer of the year as Chunichi cut the lead to one run.
In the ninth, pinch-hitter Hidenori Kuramoto, Fukudome and Kazuyoshi Tatsunami hit consecutive RBI singles to give the Dragons the lead.
Closer Eddie Gaillard shut out the Giants in the ninth and earned his ninth save.
Tigers 11, BayStars 2
At Yokohama Stadium, Hideki Irabu (5-0) tossed two-hit ball over seven scoreless innings and got more than enough backup from his teammates -- who gave the Tigers an 11-0 lead by the third inning -- as Hanshin cruised over the BayStars.
Leading 5-0 in the third, Osamu Hamanaka, Atsushi Kataoka and George Arias hit back-to-back-to-back solo homers in Hanshin's six-run third.
Swallows 9, Carp 1
At Hiroshima Stadium, Hideki Sato (1-0), who joined Yakult from Seibu this season, allowed five hits over six scoreless innings in his first start in three years and the Swallows backed him with an 18-hit barrage as they downed Hiroshima.
PACIFIC LEAGUE
Marines 5, Lions 3
Nate Minchey (3-3) allowed one run over seven innings to picked up the win as Lotte beat Seibu at Chiba Marine Stadium.
Fighters 3, Hawks 3 (12)
Nobuhiko Matsunaka nailed a game-tying solo homer in the third inning and both teams failed to score a run the rest of the way as the game ended a draw after 12 innings.