Kevin Hodges allowed nine hits and struck out seven over nine innings to earn his 17th victory of the season as the Yakult Swallows defeated the Yokohama BayStars 7-5 in 10 innings Saturday at Yokohama Stadium.
Hodges left the mound with the score tied at 5-5 after the ninth inning, but the Swallows drove in two runs in the top of the 10th inning to give him the victory. Hodges is now tied with Yomiuri Giants hurler Koji Uehara for the league lead in wins.
Roberto Petagine belted his 41st homer -- a two-run shot -- in the sixth inning.
The BayStars' Boi Rodoriguez hit a three-run clout that tied the game at 4-4 in the sixth inning.
Tigers 2, Carp 1
In Hiroshima, Hanshin secured a fourth place position in the CL standings, their best finish in eight seasons, with a victory over the Carp.
Takehito Kanazawa (5-4) gave up one run on three hits over five innings in his first career start and Kei Igawa earned the save after pitching the last two innings.
PACIFIC LEAGUE
Fighters 3, Marines 2
At Chiba Marine Stadium, Satoru Kanemura scattered eight hits and fanned six over seven innings for his career-high 10th win as Nippon Ham rallied to beat Lotte.
Michihiro Ogasawara, who leads the Pacific League with a .340 batting average, did not take part in the game.
Hawks 7, Buffaloes 6 (11)
At the Fukuoka Dome, Kazuyuki Takahashi singled home the winning run with one out and the bases loaded in the bottom of the 11th inning to lead Daiei over Kintetsu.
Kintetsu slugger Norihiro Nakamura hit two solo homers -- Nos. 41 and 42 -- in the Buffs' losing effort.