George Arias' two-run double highlighted a go-ahead four-run third inning as the Central League-leading Hanshin Tigers beat the Hiroshima Carp 5-3, reducing their magic number for clinching the league pennant to 48 in Hiroshima on Thursday.
Down by a run in the third with one out and runners on first and second at Hiroshima Stadium, Arias doubled to right-center field to bring them home. Atsushi Kataoka also hit a run-scoring double to left-center field followed by an RBI single to center by Akihiro Yano.
Hanshin starter Trey Moore (10-2) gave up three runs on eight hits but managed to last five innings to rack up his 10th win, the second straight year he has recorded double digits for wins.
Three Hanshin relievers combined the rest of the way with Jeff Williams picking up his 21st save.
Swallows 8, Giants 5
At Jingu Stadium, Atsunori Inaba hit a game-tying single during a four-run fifth inning and Yuhei Takai hurled a four-hitter in five innings as Yakult came from behind to beat Yomiuri, sending the latter to its third straight loss.
After tying the score at 2-2, the Swallows added three more runs in the fifth on back-to-back hits by Ken Suzuki and Atsuya Furuta and scored three more in the eighth.
While Takai had difficulty with his pitching control as he issued five walks and was tagged with two runs, six relievers combined on a three-hitter, holding off Yomiuri's rally to a single run.