Wednesday, June 17, 2009

UTSUNOMIYA, Tochigi Pref. (Kyodo) Takuya Kimura delivered a go-ahead, three-run homer in the bottom of the fourth inning and the Yomiuri Giants prevailed over the pesky Saitama Seibu Lions 7-6 in interleague action on Tuesday.

Tough outing: Saitama Seibu southpaw Kazuhisa Ishii didn't fool Yomiuri batters on Tuesday night at Utsunomiya Kiyohara Stadium. Ishii allowed seven hits and six earned runs in 3 2/3 innings in the Lions' 7-6 loss to the Giants. KYODO PHOTO

Seibu took a 3-1 lead in the fourth, featuring a Yasuyuki Kataoka two-run shot, but Kazunari Tsuruoka had an RBI double to narrow the gap before Kimura launched a 2-2 slider off Kazuhisa Ishii (3-5) into the stands in left at Utsunomiya Kiyohara Stadium.

"I was surprised to get that homer. I was just trying to make something happen in that situation," said Kimura. "Once the Lions get started they are a hard team to beat, so it was good to get that shot there."

Michihiro Ogasawara connected off the lefty in the next at-bat for his 14th homer to cap the five-run frame. Hayato Sakamoto added a solo blast in the sixth.

Tetsuya Yamaguchi (5-0) pitched two scoreless innings for the win. The Lions had a three-run eighth to come within one but failed to win its fifth straight.

Tigers 4, Fighters 3

At Osaka's Kyocera Dome, Kentaro Sekimoto had a tying double in the third inning and Takahiro Arai followed with a go-ahead two-run homer as Hanshin held off Hokkaido Nippon Ham to snap a five-game losing skid.

Trailing 2-1 in the third, Sekimoto doubled to left-center with a runner on second to tie it and Arai followed in the next at-bat with a blast to left off Masaru Takeda (3-4).

Craig Brazell had a solo shot to homer in his fourth straight game.

Yasutomo Kubo (2-4) allowed three runs and six hits in five innings. Kyuji Fujikawa struck out three in the ninth to pick up his sixth save.

Buffaloes 1, BayStars 0 (6)

At Yokohama Stadium, left-hander Shogo Yamamoto pitched five shutout innings as Orix edged Yokohama in a game that was called in the top of the sixth inning due to heavy rain.

Keiji Obiki had a leadoff double in the fourth and came home when Greg LaRocca hit into a double play at shortstop with runners at the corners.

Yamamoto (4-2) allowed two hits, struck out five and walked one. Les Walrond (3-6) took the loss for the BayStars, who lost their fifth straight and matched a club worst record with their third shutout defeat in a row.

Hawks 4, Dragons 3 (10)

At Ishikawa Prefectural Stadium, pinch hitter Satoru Morimoto broke a 3-3 tie with an RBI double in the 10th inning in Fukuoka Softbank's win over Chunichi.

Morimoto doubled to deep center with a runner on second and two outs off Dragons closer Hitoki Iwase (1-2).

Takahiro Mahara (2-1) won despite giving up the tying run on consecutive wild pitches in the ninth. Tony Blanco had a two-run drive, his Central League-leading 19th home run, which tied the game 2-2 in the fourth.

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