Tomoaki Kanemoto hit an RBI single to send in the tying run and Luis Lopez singled to shallow center field to drive in the go-ahead run with two outs in the seventh inning, to carry the Hiroshima Carp to a 4-2 victory over the Yakult Swallows at Tokyo's Jingu Stadium on Friday night.
| Central League | |||||
| Won | Lost | Tied | Pct. | GB | |
| Yomiuri | 76 | 53 | 0 | .589 | - |
| Chunichi | 64 | 59 | 0 | .520 | 9.0 |
| Yokohama | 62 | 63 | 1 | .496 | 12.0 |
| Yakult | 57 | 62 | 1 | .479 | 14.0 |
| Hiroshima | 58 | 66 | 1 | .468 | 15.5 |
| Hanshin | 56 | 70 | 1 | .444 | 18.5 |
| Pacific League | |||||
| Won | Lost | Tied | Pct. | GB | |
| Daiei | 67 | 54 | 2 | .554 | - |
| Seibu | 61 | 56 | 5 | .521 | 4.0 |
| Nippon Ham | 64 | 59 | 1 | .520 | 4.0 |
| Orix | 55 | 61 | 3 | .474 | 9.5 |
| Lotte | 54 | 61 | 5 | .470 | 10.0 |
| Kintetsu | 57 | 67 | 2 | .460 | 11.5 |
Hiroshima starter Nathan Minchey got his 12th decision after giving up two runs and 10 hits over 7 1/3 innings. Ken Takahashi and Makoto Kito combined to allow just one hit the rest of the way. Kito picked up his third save.
Hiroshima snapped its losing streak against Yakult at five.
Tigers 4, BayStars 3
Hanshin slugger Tsuyoshi Shinjo hit a run-scoring infield single in the first inning and Yasuaki Taiho hammered a three-run homer, his 20th of the season, off Yokohama starter Kazushi Hosomi (5-3) in the fourth inning as the Tigers edged Yokohama at Yokohama Stadium.
Tetsuro Kawajiri scattered seven hits over seven innings on the way to his 10th victory of the season. Shinobu Fukuhara, retired the side in order in the ninth for his third save.
Yokohama slugger Bobby Rose had a three-run homer in the eighth, his 21st of the season, off Hanshin reliever Minoru Kasai.
Meanwhile, the BayStars are reported to have informed veteran first baseman Norihiro Komada, who just collected his 2,000th career hit, that his services will no longer be needed by the club and he will be released.
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