A beautiful game …

Kamei goes from goat to hero in 20-hour span

Yoshiyuki Kamei experienced opposite ends of the baseball spectrum in fewer than 24 hours.

The outfielder, whose poor throw from the outfield in Game 2 of the series against Hiroshima cost Yomiuri a run, blasted an opposite-field solo homer in the eighth inning to help push the Giants past the Carp 4-3 on Thursday afternoon at Tokyo Dome.

Kamei took it on the chin from Giants manager Tatsunori Hara pubicly for a throw late in Wednesday night’s 3-0 loss to Hiroshima that allowed a runner to score an add-on run. He made up for that miscue with a shot off Kam Mickolio (1-2) with two down in the eighth.

It was his first longball of the season and gave Scott Mathieson (1-0), who K’d four in two innings of relief, his first win in Japan.

“I couldn’t sleep last night,” Kamei said of his Game 2 throw that was late, off line and generally weak despite the fact the outfield was playing shallow with a runner at second base.

“I just want to earn back the trust of the fans.”

Yoshinobu Takahashi had a two-run shot in a three-run third, but the Carp gambled and won by pinch-hitting for their battery in a fourth-inning rally that tied the score 3-3.

DRAGONS 3, TIGERS 0

Yudai Kawai (1-0) twirled eight scoreless innings, holding Hanshin to five hits with no walks and four Ks, and Tony Blanco went deep to lead Chunichi past Hanshin at Nagoya Dome.

Kazuhiro Wada also went 4-for-4 as the Dragons won their fifth straight decision. The Tigers were shut out twice in dropping two of three in the series with a tie. Hirokazu Ibata of the Dragons played in his 1,500th game.

BAYSTARS 3, SWALLOWS 1

Norihiro Nakamura stole the show at Yokohama Stadium, doubling in a run and coming up with an eighth-inning insurance run on a sacrifice fly as Yokohama slowed Yakult.

The Swallows' Shinya Miyamoto, whom most fans came to see get his 2,000th career hit, went 0-for-3 with a walk and remained at 1,999 hits. Kentaro Takasaki (1-2) tossed seven strong innings for the win.

PACIFIC LEAGUE

HAWKS 2, FIGHTERS 0

Nagisa Arakaki (3-1) fired eight shutout innings and Wily Mo Pena cracked two solo blasts as SoftBank blanked Nippon Ham at Sapporo Dome.

SoftBank veteran Hiroki Kokubo had two hits to inch closer to 2,000 for his career [he needs 11].

MARINES 6, BUFFALOES 1

Saburo Omura drove in two runs with two hits, and Shunsuke Watanabe (2-1) scattered seven hits over eight innings to help Lotte Marines cruise past Orix at Kyocera Dome Osaka.

Tadahito Iguchi had three hits and an RBI to back Watanabe, who hit 1,500 career innings to help the Marines salvage the series finale.

LIONS 6, EAGLES 1

Shogo Akiyama, recently called up from the farm team, raised his average to .591 by going 4-for-4 with a triple and three RBIs as Seibu avoided a sweep to visiting Rakuten.

Rookie lefty Hirotaka Koishi (1-0) held the Eagles to just four hits [with two walks and two hit batters] over seven scoreless innings for his first pro win.