Yakult outfielder Atsunori Inaba blasted a grand slam off Yomiuri reliever Tsuyoshi Jobe (3-3) in the bottom of the ninth inning, leading the Swallows to an 8-4 "sayonara" triumph over the Giants on Thursday at Jingu Stadium.
Second-place Swallows ended a three-game series with the Central League's front-running Giants with a 2-1 winning split. The Giants still hold a four-win lead over the Swallows, but have a slight edge in the winning percentage (.596 to .587) in the standings.
It was a see-saw game with the score tied three times.