Akira Eto hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning and Masumi Kuwata pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the frame Saturday as the Yomiuri Giants eked out a 4-3 win over the Yakult Swallows at Jingu Stadium.

Central League WonLostTiedPct.GB Yakult 70 50 5 .583 - Yomiuri 72 59 2 .550 3.5 Hiroshima 58 59 7 .496 10.5 Yokohama 58 62 3 .483 12.0 Chunichi 59 64 4 .480 12.5 Hanshin 51 74 1 .408 21.5 Pacific League WonLostTiedPct.GB Kintetsu 73 58 2 .557 - Daiei 71 61 1 .538 2.5 Seibu 72 62 0 .537 2.5 Orix 64 63 4 .504 7.0 Lotte 61 68 2 .473 11.0 Nippon Ham 50 79 3 .388 22.0

The victory was Yomiuri's fourth straight over the Swallows and kept alive the Giants' slim hopes of winning a second-straight Central League pennant.

Yakult, seeing its lead trimmed to 31/2 games, can still win the pennant by winning nine of its last 15 games even if the Giants win all seven of their remaining games.

Dragons 3, Tigers 1

Hirokazu Ibata hit a two-run homer and Takeshi Yamasaki connected for a solo shot as the Chunichi Dragons defeated the Hanshin Tigers at Koshien Stadium.

Ibata slammed his first home run of the season into the left-field stands in the first inning against Hanshin's Shinji Taninaka (6-3) while Chunichi southpaw Shigeki Noguchi (12-8) held Hanshin to a run on seven hits over seven innings.

BayStars 5, Carp 3

At Yokohama Stadium, Takahiro Saeki broke a 3-3 tie with an RBI single as host Yokohama overcame a 3-0 deficit to pick up a comeback win over Hiroshima.

Closer Takashi Saito got the final four outs for his 25th save.