With the King of Pop blasting through the sound system, the Yomiuri Giants reminded the Tokyo Yakult Swallows why they've been wearing the crown in the Central League for two years and running.

The Giants won a battle of the league's top two teams by defeating the Swallows 7-2 in a 15-hit romp on Friday at Tokyo Dome.

"We were able to play this game at our pace and stay in control throughout," Giants manager Tatsunori Hara said. "It was a good start to the series."