Tetsuto Yamada blasted a three-run home run and lefty Keiji Takahashi threw six scoreless innings as the Tokyo Yakult Swallows beat the Orix Buffaloes 7-1 in Game 3 of the Japan Series on Tuesday to take a two-game lead in the series.
Yamada broke up a scoreless game in the fifth inning at Kyocera Dome Osaka. Hitless in the series until a third-inning infield single, Yamada drove a fastball from Hiroya Miyagi off the facing of the second deck in left with two outs.
"I was only looking for a fastball and trying to put a really good swing on it," Yamada said.