The much anticipated pitching duel between Kenta Asakura and Hisanori Takahashi fizzled early but Ryota Wakiya and Takahiko Nomaguchi still put on a show.
Giants slugger Lee Seung Yeop reacts after hitting a solo homer in the fifth inning against the Chunichi
Dragons on Wednesday at Tokyo Dome.
KYODO PHOTOWakiya went 3-for-3 and hit a go-ahead two-run home run in the sixth, Nomaguchi pitched four shut out innings of relief and the Yomiuri Giants rallied to beat the Chunichi Dragons 8-4 in front of 46,004 fans at Tokyo Dome on Wednesday night.
"I rarely hit a home run, so it feels really good when I do, especially in a game like this," Wakiya said.
The Giants scored in four consecutive innings as they worked their way out of a four-run hole to extend their lead in the Central League standings to two games over the Dragons.
Yoshitomo Tani began the comeback with a two-run single in the third and Wakiya added an RBI single in the fourth. Lee Seung Yeop pulled the Giants within a run with a home run in the fifth before Wakiya's two-run shot in the next inning gave them the lead.
Yoshinobu Takahashi added a two-run homer in the eighth to tie Chunichi's Tyrone Woods for the CL lead with his 35th home run.
With two games remaining on their schedule, compared to six for the Dragons, the game was a must-win for Yomiuri if the Giants are to reach their goal of finishing the season on top of the CL standings.
"We did what we had to do," Lee said. "Now we can rest for a few days and see what happens."
Hisanori Takahashi (14-4) lasted just three innings after giving up four runs, on six hits and did not factor into the decision. He has had little success against the Dragons this season and entered the game 1-2 with a 4.33 ERA in four games against Chunichi.
Handed the ball with a 4-0 deficit in the fourth inning, Nomaguchi (3-0) gave up just four hits and struck out three over four innings to pick up the win.
"I really felt pumped when we took the lead and it made me bear down even more," Nomaguchi said.
Koji Uehara worked the eighth and ninth innings to pick up his 32nd save of the season.
Asakura (12-6) took the loss after allowing all six runs on nine hits and striking out seven over 5 2/3 innings.
The Dragons went up 4-0 early behind an RBI single by Norihiro Nakamura and a three-run homer from Masahiko Morino in the first inning. Morino finished the game 4-for-4 and came a triple away from hitting for the cycle.
Chunichi second baseman Masahiro Araki picked up his 200th career stolen base after stealing second in the second inning. Araki currently leads the CL with 28 stolen bases this season.
T. Ishii to retire
TOKOROZAWA, Saitama Pref. (Kyodo) Seibu Lions right-hander Takashi Ishii will retire at the end of the season, the Pacific League club said Wednesday.
"I've reached my limit as far as physical ability. I can't throw like I have in the past," said Ishii, who won the 2004 Japan Series MVP award after throwing 13 scoreless innings in two starts against the Chunichi Dragons.
Ishii, Seibu's first-round pick in the 1993 draft, has a 68-58 career record with 13 saves and a 3.78 ERA in 14 seasons, all with the Lions. The 36-year-old has been limited to seven relief appearances this year without a win or a loss.
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