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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
Some rights reserved.
Not even soggy conditions could put a damper on the Yakult Swallows.
Kazuhiro Hatakeyama and Wladimir Balentien socked homers in the second inning and Yoshinori Sato held the Yomiuri Giants to a run on four hits over five innings as the Swallows extended their Central League winning streak to eight with a 4-1 rain-delayed win on Wednesday.
The Swallows, alone in first place in the CL, also got an RBI single from 40-year-old infielder Shinya Miyamoto in the fourth inning, and umpires waited about an hour before resuming the game after five innings in the rain in Shizuoka.
Hatakeyama -- with his funky leg-kicking batting style -- nudged his way into the CL homer lead with his sixth in 12 games. Balentien added a solo blast in the sixth -- after the rain delay -- to back Sato (2-1), who limited Yomiuri to four hits and two walks, while punching out a pair. He left after the rain delay.
Tetsuya Utsumi (2-1), who had beaten the Swallows in six straight decisions, allowed all three Yakult runs in 4.1 innings before getting the hook in his first loss.
“Our team is playing good baseball right now. It’s something special going on right now,” Balentien said in the “hero” interview.
DRAGONS 1, BAYSTARS 0
Tony Blanco slammed a solo blast out of the stadium in Toyohashi, his second of the year, and Soma Yamauchi (1-0) shut down Yokohama on one hit over six innings as Chunichi won a game called after six innings because of rain.
Blanco hit Chunichi’s first homer in seven games.
Yokohama starter Daisuke Miura lost his career-long-tying seventh straight decision, dating back to last season, and the BayStars fell into last place.
Hiroshima and Hanshin were rained out at The Zoom.
PACIFIC LEAGUE
MARINES 12, BUFFALOES 1
Fourth-year righty Yuki Karakawa (2-1) struck out a career-high 13 and held Orix to three hits over eight innings as Lotte won in the wind at The Q.
Toshiaki Imae led the offense with a two-run triple and two singles, and Tadahito Iguchi drove in three runs as Lotte won its sixth straight at home.
Orix starter Hayato Terahara (1-2) gave up a career-worst eight runs and suffered his first loss at QVC since 2003.
HAWKS 5, FIGHTERS 0
Fourth-year right-hander D.J. Houlton fired a five-hitter for his first complete-game shutout in Japan as SoftBank blanked Nippon Ham at Sapporo Dome.
Alex Cabrera hit a solo shot and a sac fly, and Hitoshi Tamura belted a two-run homer to back Houlton (2-1), who retired his last 10 batters to close it out.
The Eagles and Lions were rained out.