NAGOYA — The Chunichi Dragons came into the Japan Series looking for revenge and they're one win away from getting it.

News photoNippon Ham Fighters shortstop Makoto Kaneko hits an RBI double in the fourth inning against the Chunichi Dragons in the Game 4 of the Japan Series on Wednesday at Nagoya Dome. KYODO PHOTO

The Dragons scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch and a late RBI single by Norihiro Nakamura gave them some breathing space as Chunichi beat the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters 4-2 in Game 4 of the Japan Series on Wednesday night in front of 38,059 fans at Nagoya Dome.

The win gave the Dragons a 3-1 lead in the series which means Chunichi can clinch the title at home in front of its long-suffering fans, who have waited 53 years for the franchise's second Japan Series title.

"I will use all the players if necessary to win Game 5 and close it out tomorrow," Chunichi manager Hiromitsu Ochiai said.

They were beaten in five games by the Fighters in last year's Series and can return the favor with a win in Game 5.

Lefty Takashi Ogasawara struck out six in a serviceable 4 2/3 innings of work. Ogasawara, who was relieved after loading the bases in the fifth, was charged with two runs on six hits.

Chunichi closer Hitoki Iwase, making his first appearance in the Series, struck out two in a perfect ninth to pick up his fifth save of the post-season.

"Tonight I did my best pitching of this year," Iwase said. "We need to win the Series in Nagoya and I look forward to being on the mound again tomorrow."

With the Dragons clinging to a one-run lead, Nakamura capped a nine-pitch at bat with an RBI-single up the middle to put Chunichi up 4-2 in the seventh inning.

"I am glad I was able to contribute and set up a situation where we could get Iwase into the game."

Missed opportunities were the story for the Fighters, who mostly could not come up with the big hit when they needed it. Nippon Ham was 1-for-9 with four walks with runners in scoring position. Their lone run with runners on second or third was a bases-loaded walk drawn by Makoto Kaneko in the fifth inning.

They were robbed of a run-scoring opportunity in the third when right fielder Lee Byung Kyu made a difficult grab at the wall on a hard hit ball by Eiichi Koyano with runners on first and second. They came up short again in the fourth when Ogasawara struck out Hichori Morimoto with a man on third to preserve Chunichi's one-run lead.

Rookie Mitsuo Yoshikawa gave up three runs, two earned, in 5 2/3 innings to take the loss. Yoshikawa gave up just three hits but was the victimized by a first inning error and a bases-loaded wild pitch.

For the third straight game the Fighters found themselves playing catch-up after the first inning.

Masahiro Araki led off the game with a single and Hirokazu Ibata was hit with a pitch to give Chunichi two runners with no outs. The runners advanced on Masahiko Morino's sacrifice bunt and an error by third baseman Koyano on a ball hit by Tyrone Woods allowed a run to score.

Lee's sacrifice fly later in the inning gave Chunichi a 2-0 lead.

Nippon Ham has been outscored 10-3 in the first inning during the series.