D.J. Houlton hit his first home run as a professional and pitched seven innings to lead the Yomiuri Giants to a 9-1 win over the Tokyo Yakult Swallows on Saturday at Tokyo Dome.
Houlton, whose last extra-base hit was a triple for Triple-A Las Vegas in 2007, hit a solo homer in the second. The right-hander, who turns 33 on Sunday, allowed a run on eight hits and a walk, while striking out eight. He improved his record to 9-6.
His homer was the second of three by the Central League-leading Giants, who are 7-0 with one tie since their last defeat on Aug. 2.