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Hanshin slugs four HRs, spoils Yomiuri’s home opener

The Yomiuri Giants were charged up for their first game at Tokyo Dome since the 3/11 earthquake and the subsequent energy-saving measures kept them away from home all season.

They experience a disconnect on Tuesday, though, as the Hanshin Tigers bashed four home runs, including three straight in the third inning, and cruised to a 7-3 win at the Big Egg.

Takashi Toritani hit a two-run shot, and Takahiro Arai and Craig Brazil followed with solo blasts for Hanshin’s first back-to-back-to-back homers since last Aug. 12 as the Tigers built a 5-0 lead in front of 45,049. It was the ninth time in club history that players his three straight HRs, and the second time against the Giants.

Atsushi Nomi (2-1) twirled his first complete game since April 24, 2009, and won his eighth straight decision against the Giants to equal the club record held by Tadayoshi Kajioka and Shigeru Kobayashi.

Nomi, who allowed two longballs himself, surrendered six hits, but didn’t walk a batter and punched out eight.

Loser Shun Tono, who got the ball on Opening Day and took the mound to start the first game at the dome this season, said he wasn’t sharp at the outset.

“It was the first game at Tokyo Dome this season, but I wasn’t overexcited. I just couldn’t get into a rhythm.”

Said Giants skipper Tatsunori Hara: “His stuff only looked good at the start,” suggesting Tono was off from the first pitch, although he retired the side with little trouble in the first inning.

Hanshin’s Tomoaki Kanemoto became the oldest player to homer in the Central League when he stroked a solo shot to right in the second inning. At 43 years and one month, he surpassed Hiromitsu Ochiai.

SWALLOWS 5, DRAGONS 3

Yasushi Iihara and Norichika Aoki slapped back-to-back RBI doubles in the seventh inning to break a 3-3 tie as Yakult downed Chunichi for the fourth consecutive time at Jingu Stadium.

The Swallows’ Wladimir Balentien homered for the second time in as many days and had three hits to push his average to .351.

CARP 3, BAYSTARS 2

Chad Tracey had two RBIs and Dennis Sarfate got a four-out save as two of Hiroshima’s foreign contingent helped it edge Yokohama at The Zoom.

Rookie Yuya Fukui (2-0) worked 6.2 innings, allowing three hits and a walk, while fanning five for his second win. Both have come against Yokohama.

PACIFIC LEAGUE

MARINES 10, LIONS 5

Tadahito Iguchi slugged a grand slam and a three-run homer for a career-high seven RBIs as Lotte rallied from five runs down to top sliding Seibu in the first game at Seibu Dome.

Iguchi cracked his second of the season in the sixth to cap a five-run rally and give Lotte the lead. It was his 10th career slam, tying him for 12th on the all-time list. His three-run shot came in his next at-bat.

The Marines beat Seibu ace Hideaki Wakui (1-2), who allowed four runs, one earned, in 5.2 innings.

HAWKS 3, EAGLES 0

Tsuyoshi Wada (1-1) fired a three-hitter -- with 11 strikeouts -- for his seventh career shutout as Fukuoka SoftBank blanked Rakuten at home.

FIGHTERS 6, BUFFALOES 3

Right after ace Yu Darvish (3-1) allowed the tying runs home in the top of the bottom of the ninth, Sho Nakata hit a bases-loaded triple to give Nippon Ham the win at Kyocera Dome Osaka.