Hirokazu Sawamura made his Japan Series debut by hitting a pair of batters in the first inning.
A friendly tap on the head from catcher Shinnosuke Abe, and a leadoff home run by Hisayoshi Chono got the second-year right-hander back on track and the Yomiuri Giants one step closer to another celebration.
Sawamura threw eight shutout innings, and Chono's home run was the difference as the Giants outlasted a valiant effort by Hokkaido Nippon Ham starter Masaru Takeda to beat the Fighters 1-0 in Game 2 of the Japan Series on Sunday at Tokyo Dome.