Akinori Iwamura hit a three-run homer in the first inning as the Yakult Swallows overcame a ninth-inning scare to defeat the Yokohama BayStars 5-3 in the only game scheduled Thursday.
The day after Yakult manager Tsutomu Wakamatsu was ejected and fined 100,000 yen for shoving an umpire, Iwamura connected off Takashi Saito (2-4), who made his first start since May 8 after being sidelined with a back pain, at Yokohama Stadium.
Alex Ramirez went 3-for-4 and lined a two-run single in the fourth. Ryota Igarashi came on with two out and the bases loaded in the ninth and allowed Yokohama to cut the deficit to two runs on a walk, but got the game-ending out on a flyout for his ninth save.
Jason Beverlin (5-3) limited the damage to a Takuro Ishii game-opening leadoff homer in his six innings of work.