Pinch-hitter Kentaro Sekimoto hit a walkoff homer in the bottom of the ninth inning as the Hanshin Tigers beat the Yomiuri Giants 5-4 for their third straight win Tuesday.

News photo
Hiroshima Carp shortstop Koji Yamasaki forces out Yakult Swallows baserunner Atsuya Furuta at second base on a bunt by Kazuhisa Ishii in the fifth inning Tuesday at Jingu Stadium.

Sekimoto sent his third home run of the season over the center-field wall with two out in the ninth off Masanori Hayashi (0-1) in Central League action at Koshien Stadium.

After Andy Sheets hit a solo home run for Hanshin in the fourth, Yomiuri went ahead 4-1 in the fifth on a bases-loaded walk by Shinnosuke Abe, a two-run single by Kenji Yano and a Takayuki Shimizu run-scoring single.