Mitsunobu Takahashi hit a three-run homer in the sixth inning as the Chunichi Dragons overcame a ninth-inning scare to beat the Yokohama BayStars 5-3 in the Central League on Saturday.
Akihiro Yano of Hanshin belts a two-run homer Saturday against the Yomiuri Giants at Tokyo Dome. The Tigers won 12-6.
Takahashi pinch-hit for Kazuki Inoue with one out and runners on the corners and worked the count full before driving former teammate Hiroshi Yamada's eighth pitch over the left-center wall at Yokohama Stadium, giving the Dragons a 5-1 lead.
Daisuke Yamai (2-0) limited the damage to a run and six hits in 5 1/3 innings for the win. Hitoki Iwase allowed back-to-back solo homers in the bottom of the ninth, but escaped a one-out, two-on jam by getting the last two batters to ground out.