’Stars sky high …

Yokohama erupts for season-high 12 runs, routs Chunichi

Yokohama wrapped up the Golden Week holiday finally looking like ’Stars.

Yuki Yoshimura, a 10-year veteran who had been banished to the farm to start the season, broke out with a two-homer game and Daisuke Miura went the distance for the second time this season -- 55th time in his career -- as the BayStars lit up the Chunichi Dragons 12-1 at Yokohama Stadium.

It was Yokohama’s first double-digit-run-scoring game this season and its 15 hits were the most the club has pounded out this season. Yoshimura hit homers in back-to-back at-bats for the first time since July 21, 2008.
The BayStars also snapped an 11-game skid against the Dragons, dating back to last season.

The Dragons, who had won five straight decisions, saw their six-game winning streak at The Hama come to a screeching halt.

Yokohama, which struck for two homers in the ninth inning the day before, jumped all over Shinji Iwata (2-1) in the first inning.

Alex Ramirez and Norihiro Nakamura, who both hit solo shots in the ninth on Friday, drove in the first two runs with back-to-back RBI doubles before Yoshimura smashed a two-run shot down the line in left.

“The two guys in front of me got hits [to drive in runs] so that made me relax,” Yoshimura said. “The ball really carried for me.”

He drove a curve to the power alley in left center in the fourth to spark a three-run outburst. The power display reminded many of Yoshimura's career-best 34 longballs in 2008.

TIGERS 2, GIANTS 1

Minoru Iwata went seven innings for his first win since April 22, and Takahiro Arai’s solo blast in the fourth proved to be the difference as Hanshin edged Yomiuri at Koshien Stadium.

Kazuya Tsutsui came in with the bases loaded and one out in the eighth and got a pair of popouts to escape trouble, and Kyuji Fujikawa put the go-ahead runners on base in the ninth before saving it for Iwata (2-4).

SWALLOWS 4, CARP 1

Orlando Roman (2-4) was the recipient of Yakult’s ninth double-digit hit game, led by Wladimir Balentien’s homer and two RBIs in a win over Hiroshima at Jingu.

Roman scattered five hits and three walks over eight innings, and Tony Barnette notched his 16th scoreless outing to nail down his 11th save.

PACIFIC LEAGUE

MARINES 4, LIONS 2

Yoshifumi Okada’s sac fly in the fifth gave Lotte the lead and Saburo Omura later in the inning drove in a run with a base hit as Seibu scratched past host Seibu.

Yuki Karakawa got the hook after six innings, but the bullpen preserved his fifth win [against one loss] to even him with the PL’s win leaders.

BUFFALOES 5, FIGHTERS 4

Moments after Nippon Ham got even, Keiji Obiki drove in Fumihiro Suzuki with a sac fly in the ninth as Orix got past the Fighters at Sapporo Dome.

Obiki, batting leadoff for the first time this season, also had a double and a single, and a sac fly that gave Orix the lead in the seventh inning.

HAWKS 4, EAGLES 3

Hiroki Kokubo’s only hit of the day drove in a pair of runs and got him within 10 of the 2,000-hit mark as SoftBank outlasted Rakuten at FYJ Dome.

Tadashi Settsu (5-0) matched the PL’s top winners by throwing 7.2 innings of one-run ball for the victory.