Kenji Jojima sparked a three-run rally in the ninth inning with his second solo homer of the evening Tuesday and the Daiei Hawks held onto first place in the Pacific League with a 5-4 win over the Nippon Ham Fighters.
Hiroshi Shibahara capped the rally at the Tokyo Dome with a two-run double that put the Hawks into the lead as Daiei held on for its third win in four games.
Rookie reliever Kazuhiko Iijima loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth but struck out the league's top batter Michihiro Ogasawara and Sherman Obando to end the Nippon Ham threat.