Kenshin Kawakami pitched two-run ball over seven effective innings Friday, leading the Chunichi Dragons to their sixth straight win in a 5-2 victory over the Yomiuri Giants.
Hawks outfielder Hitoshi Tamura watches his second homer of the game sail into the right-field bleachers in the third inning against the Fighters on Friday. Fukuoka Softbank defeated Hokkaido Nippon Ham 5-2.
KYOTO PHOTOKosuke Fukudome had an RBI double and Masahiko Morino followed with a two-run single for a 3-0 lead in the third against Tetsuya Utsumi (5-2) at Nagoya Dome, helping to end the Central League leader's winning streak at three games.
In the sixth, Michihiro Ogasawara led off with a double and in the next at-bat, Kawakami threw inside near Lee Seung Yeop's head on a pitch before the South Korean slugger hit a mammoth shot to the upper deck in center to cut the deficit to 3-2.