• The Associated Press

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Pedro Valdes and Kenji Jojima both hit two run homers Sunday as the Daiei Hawks moved a step closer to claiming the Pacific League pennant with a 6-1 win over the Nippon Ham Fighters.

News photoPedro Valdes

Valdes got the Hawks on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second inning with his 26th homer of the season. Jojima gave Daiei a 6-1 lead in the bottom of the fifth at Fukuoka Dome with a towering blast into the left field stands.

Brandon Knight, formerly of the New York Yankees, picked up the win after holding the Fighters to one run on five hits over five innings.

The Hawks opened up a four-game lead in the standings and saw their magic number to clinch their first pennant since 2000 reduced to five after the Seibu Lions lost to the Kintetsu Buffaloes.

Buffaloes 4, Lions 3

At Seibu Dome, Kintetsu starter Jeremy Powell gave up two runs on seven hits over eight innings as the Buffaloes edged Seibu.

Yuji Yoshioka doubled in a pair of runs as Kintetsu scored three runs in the top of the fifth inning off starter Chang Chi-Chie.

Both Seibu runs came on solo homers by Hiroyuki Oshima and Kazuhiro Wada.

BlueWave at Marines — ppd.

CENTRAL LEAGUE

Giants 10, Tigers 5

Takayuki Saito connected for a two-run homer and drove home four runs and two other Giants homered as Yomiuri beat Hanshin at Tokyo Dome.

Roberto Petagine connected for his 34th clout of the season, a two-run blast in the third, and Kazuhiro Kiyohara — who went 3-for-4 — nailed a solo homer in the sixth.

Tigers slugger George Arias smashed a two-run dinger in the seventh inning for his CL-leading 37th homer of the year.

Lefty Kimiyasu Kudo (7-6) was tagged for five runs on nine hits over seven innings but picked up the win.

Dragons at BayStars — ppd.

Carp at Swallows — ppd.

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