Takeya Nakamura and Takahiko G.G. Sato homered off Masahiro Tanaka, Kazuyuki Hoashi threw his fourth complete game of the month, and the Saitama Seibu Lions routed the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles 7-1 on Friday.
The fourth-place Lions took the opener of a crucial three-game series at Seibu Dome and moved within two games of the third-place Eagles. The top three teams qualify for the Pacific League Climax Series.
Nakamura hit his baseball-leading 43rd home run, with a runner on base, in the first inning.
Hoashi (9-5) had a shutout until Daisuke Kusano delivered a two-out RBI single in the seventh. The left-hander allowed six hits, struck out six and walked two.
The Lions won their fifth straight game. Tanaka (14-6) was charged with five runs on 10 hits in six innings.
Marines 6, Buffaloes 0
At Chiba Marine Stadium, Yoshihisa Naruse threw a two-hitter for his first shutout in two years, leading Chiba Lotte over Orix.
Naruse (11-5) struck out 12 and walked none in a 108-pitch outing. The left-hander won his seventh straight decision.
Hisao Heiuchi's RBI single broke a scoreless tie in the fifth inning. Shoitsu Omatsu hit a solo homer in the seventh among his three hits.
Fighters at Hawks — late
CENTRAL LEAGUE
Giants 3, Carp 2
At Tokyo Dome, pinch runner Takahiro Suzuki scored the go-ahead run on Noriyoshi Omichi's grounder in the eighth inning as Yomiuri rallied past Hiroshima for its season-high eighth straight win.
Shinnosuke Abe's solo shot, his 30th homer of the season, tied the game at 2-2 in the seventh before Omichi hit a one-out grounder off Colby Lewis (9-9).
Swallows 5, BayStars 2
At Tokyo's Jingu Stadium, Hiroyasu Tanaka hit a tiebreaking two-run homer and Shohei Tateyama threw his fourth complete game of the season as Yakult downed Yokohama for its third straight win.
Tigers 5, Dragons 2