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.
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.