Wladimir Balentien took hero's honors for the second night in a row, redeeming himself after a fatal fielding miscue with a go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth inning to lead the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in a three-game sweep of the Central-League leading Yomiuri Giants.
Just when all seemed lost after his blunder in the seventh, Balentien connected on a first-pitch fastball from reliever Scott Mathieson (0-1) in the following frame, lifting the Swallows to a 2-1 victory over the 2012 Japan Series champion on Sunday night.
The Swallows won five straight for the first time this season, while the Giants were condemned to their first three-game loss.