The Chunichi Dragons salvaged a last-gasp draw in the first game of a three-game series against Central League-leading Yomiuri on Friday.
The Dragons tied it at 1-1 with two outs in the bottom of the ninth against closer Scott Mathieson on an RBI single by veteran catcher Motonobu Tanishige, and the game ended in a 10-inning tie.
Giants outfielder Tetsuya Matsumoto, the 2009 CL Rookie of the Year, was activated before the game and made an impact in the bottom of the ninth. Matsumoto, who entered as a pinch hitter in the eighth, made a jumping catch at the left-field wall that robbed Masahiko Morino of a leadoff double. Kazuhiro Wada, however, followed with a double and scored when Tanishige singled to center.