YOKOHAMA — Showers washed out the first game of the Hanshin Tigers' series with the Yokohama BayStars Friday night. With the year they've had so far, the snake-bitten Tigers must be hoping the rain washed away a season's worth of bad karma as well.

News photoTigers lefty Tsuyoshi Shimoyanagi holds the BayStars to one run in 5 2/3 innings of work for his sixth win of the season, helping Hanshin defeat Yokohama 8-2. KYODO PHOTO

Hanshin took advantage of a Yokohama error to take the lead early and added some insurance runs late to beat the BayStars 8-2 Saturday afternoon at Yokohama Stadium.

The win gives a much-needed boost to a Tiger squad that has struggled this season. Hanshin (29-36-2) is currently seven games under .500 and won for only the seventh time its last 17 games.

"Coming off interleague (play) we had some good days off," Hanshin first baseman Andy Sheets said. "Hopefully we can try and get a winning streak going."

Given an early 3-0 advantage Tigers starter Tsuyoshi Shimoyanagi (6-4) made the lead hold up over 5 2/3 innings. The hurler yielded one run on seven hits and struck out two in a solid outing.

"Shimo pitched well," Sheets said. "Everybody pitched well and we were able to get some offense going."

Protecting a three-run lead, the slumping Tigers took out a season's worth of frustration as they teed off on Yokohama reliever Takumi Nasuno in a four-run eighth. Sheets recorded an RBI with a sacrifice fly before Tomoaki Kanemoto and Wei-ju Lin sandwiched home runs around a Makoto Imaoka single to put the game out of reach.

The loss cooled off the red-hot BayStars (34-31-1), who have won 14 of their last 17 games since snapping a six-game losing streak on June 5. Yokohama hadn't lost since falling 3-2 to Tohoku Rakuten on June 17.

Despite the result, the BayStars remain five games ahead of the Tigers for the third-place position in the Central League. Which wouldn't mean much in years past but takes on greater importance this season as the top three teams will compete in the league's first-ever Climax Series Oct. 13-22.

Hanshin pounced on starter Daisuke Miura (5-7) in the second after Takuro Ishii misplayed a Kanemoto flyball to lead off the inning. The Tigers then reeled off consecutive singles to load the bases with no outs. Akihiro Yano drove in two runs with a double to center before scoring on a Shimoyanagi groundout to take an early 3-0 lead.

The BayStars tried to rally in the bottom of the sixth behind Yuuki Yoshimura's two-out home run which made the score 3-1. The blast also ended Shimoyanagi's day. He was relieved by Tomoyuki Kubota, who found himself in trouble from the start.

Ishii followed the homer with a single, then stole second with the tying run at the plate. Ryoji Aikawa's single put runners at the corners.

Kubota kept his composure, however, and with the Yokohama fans on their feet, got pinch hitter Katsuaki Furuki to chase a pitch in the dirt to end the inning.

Soyogi sparks Carp

HIROSHIMA (Kyodo) Eishin Soyogi delivered a go-ahead two-run double in a five-run sixth inning, leading the Hiroshima Carp to an 8-6 victory over the Yomiuri Giants on Saturday.

Yomiuri turned a 3-0 deficit into a 4-3 lead with three home runs in the top of the sixth, but Hiroshima regained the lead in the bottom half when Soyogi doubled after a bases-loaded walk to pinch-hitter Tomonori Maeda at Hiroshima Stadium.

Swallows 7, Dragons 3

At Akita Komachi Stadium, Ryuji Miyade opened the scoring with a two-run double in a three-run first inning and Masakazu Fukukawa went 3-for-3 with a pair of solo homers as Tokyo Yakult handed Chunichi its third straight loss.

PACIFIC LEAGUE

Fighters 4, Buffaloes 3

At Kyocera Dome, Eiichi Koyano hit a two-run single and Shinji Takahashi went 3-for-4 with two runs scored as Hokkaido Nippon Ham held off Orix.

Lions 6, Eagles 4

At Goodwill Dome, pinch hitter Hisashi Takayama hit a two-run walkoff homer in the ninth inning as Seibu beat Tohoku Rakuten for its third consecutive win.

Marines at Hawks — late