Hanshin closer Toshihide Narimoto struck out Noriyuki Shiroishi with two out and one on in the bottom of the 12th inning and Thursday's game against the Tigers and the Yakult Swallows ended a 4-4 tie at Tokyo's Jingu Stadium.
Central League WonLostTiedPct.GB Yakult 74 55 6 .574 - Yomiuri 75 63 2 .543 3.5 Hiroshima 64 63 7 .504 9.0 Yokohama 65 65 4 .500 9.5 Chunichi 60 72 4 .455 15.5 Hanshin 57 77 3 .425 19.5 Pacific League WonLostTiedPct.GB Kintetsu 78 59 2 .569 - Daiei 76 63 1 .547 3.0 Seibu 73 67 0 .521 6.5 Orix 69 66 4 .511 8.0 Lotte 64 74 2 .464 14.5 Nippon Ham 53 84 3 .387 25.0
The Swallows are still one win away from clinching their sixth overall Central League pennant and first since 1997, and the earliest they can do so will be Saturday when they go into a three-game series against the Yokohama BayStars in Yokohama.