Rookie right-hander Mizuki Tsuchida kept Yomiuri from sinking in the fourth inning and the Giants came back with a vengeance, overcoming a three-run deficit to clobber the Hanshin Tigers 12-3 on Wednesday.

Before 44,837 at Tokyo Dome, Tsuchida (1-0) took the mound in relief of ace Tetsuya Utsumi and inherited a two-on, no-out jam. The Tigers loaded the bases on a sharp infield single and were poised to blow the game open, but Tsuchida got a double play before striking out Tigers pitcher Atsushi Nomi swinging to end the inning.

Nomi (9-10) allowed no hits or walks to the first 10 batters he faced, but the game got away from him in a heartbeat in the fifth. He retired just one batter, while allowing six runs on six hits. Hanshin needed two more pitchers to get out of the 12-run inning.