Alex Ramirez hit two home runs and teammate Roberto Petagine connected for his Central League-leading 30th homer as the Yakult Swallows trounced the Chunichi Dragons 12-1 at Jingu Stadium on Saturday.
With their fourth straight win, the Swallows are ahead of the second-place Yomiuri Giants in both number of wins and also in win percentage.
Yakult starter Hirotsugu Maeda held the Dragons to one run on nine hits over eight innings and cruised to his sixth win, backed by the Swallows' 19-hit barrage.