Shinjiro Hiyama cracked two homer runs and drove in four as the Hanshin Tigers blanked the slumping Chunichi Dragons 9-0 Thursday at the Osaka Dome.
| Central League | |||||
| Won | Lost | Tied | Pct. | GB | |
| Yomiuri | 35 | 26 | 2 | .574 | - |
| Yakult | 30 | 22 | 2 | .577 | 0.5 |
| Hiroshima | 26 | 24 | 4 | .520 | 3.5 |
| Chunichi | 29 | 29 | 1 | .500 | 4.5 |
| Yokohama | 23 | 31 | 1 | .426 | 8.5 |
| Hanshin | 23 | 34 | 0 | .404 | 10.0 |
| Pacific League | |||||
| Won | Lost | Tied | Pct. | GB | |
| Daiei | 36 | 25 | 1 | .590 | - |
| Kintetsu | 33 | 28 | 2 | .541 | 3.0 |
| Orix | 30 | 27 | 4 | .526 | 4.0 |
| Lotte | 31 | 28 | 2 | .525 | 4.0 |
| Seibu | 30 | 31 | 0 | .492 | 6.0 |
| Nippon Ham | 20 | 41 | 3 | .328 | 16.0 |
The Tigers completed a three-game sweep of the Dragons, who suffered their sixth consecutive defeat.
Hanshin starter Kei Igawa (6-5) yielded six hits while striking out seven over seven innings for the win. Atsunori Ito and Tetsuji Mende pitched one inning apiece in the nine-hit shutout.
In the third inning, Osamu Hamanaka tripled home a run with one out. Later in that inning, Hiyama drilled a three-run shot off Chunichi starter and loser Melvin Bunch (3-5) to cap a four-run attack.
Hamanaka also had a run-scoring double in a three-run sixth inning and Hiyama added his second roundtripper of the game, a solo shot, in the eighth inning.
Former NFL quarterback Warren Moon, who is visiting Japan on a promotion tour, threw out the first pitch before the game.
Swallows at BayStars -- ppd.
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