Giant achievement …

Yomiuri becomes 1st CL team to win interleague

It took the team with the richest tradition in Nippon Pro Baseball to curb a persistent trend in interleague play.

The Yomiuri Giants knocked around Takayuki Shiomi (5-7) for eight runs in two innings and clinched the interleague title on Saturday with a 10-1 drubbing of the Rakuten Eagles that made them the first Central League team to finish ahead in the interleague standings since play between the leagues began in 2005.

Shinnosuke Abe and Yoshitomo Tani had three hits and two RBIs each, and Hayato Sakamoto homered and singled to drive in two to lead Yomiuri, which picked up 50 million yen for being the best interleague team by going 17-6 against the PL.

“We were .500 when we started interleague, but we were seemed to be moving in an upward direction and we rode that momentum and it has turned out to be a great interleague session for us,” skipper Tatsunori Hara said in the on-field interview after the game.

“Over the time we’ve had interleague, the Central League hasn’t generated that many good memories. But for the Giants to be able to win as a Central League team for the first time, I think is good for the league,” said Hara, whose team is now 11 games over .500.

Shiomi suffered the worst beating of his career and has a Japan-high seven losses.

“There’s nothing to ask me,” Hoshino said about Shimoi. “I’d have been better off pitching today,” the former pitcher barked.

D.J. Houlton [friend of JBD] scattered four hits and a walk with seven Ks over seven innings to improve to 5-5.

FIGHTERS 3, SWALLOWS 2

Micah Hoffpauir notched his first walk-off RBI with a scoring flyball in the ninth as Nippon Ham got past Yakult at Sapporo Dome.

Both teams scored twice in the second inning before Hoffpauir flied to center with the bases loaded and one out.

BAYSTARS 1, HAWKS 0

Brandon Mann (1-4) tossed six shutout innings and the first of two Alex Ramirez doubles knocked in the game’s only run to help Yokohama beat SoftBank and break a nine-game skid at FYJ Dome [since June 6, 2006].

It was Yokohama’s first 1-0 victory since last Sept. 23, and its first in interleague play. Ramirez moved atop the all-time interleague RBI list with his 176th against the PL.

TIGERS 8, MARINES 5

Craig Brazell had three hits and four RBIs, but that was the last thing most people remembered when Lotte loaded the bases in the ninth inning and scored a run before Saburo Omura grounded out to end things at The Q.

Every Hanshin starter had at least one hit and the loss took the Marines out of contention for the interleague title.

DRAGONS 4, BUFFALOES 2, 11 INNIINGS

Masahiro Araki’s two-run triple to deep center pushed Chunichi past Orix at Kyocera Dome Osaka and gave the Dragons a winning record in interleague play.

It was just the second losing interleague session for the Buffaloes.

LIONS 6, CARP 5

Tatsuyuki Uemoto and Hiroshi Hirao each had two-run singles in a four-run sixth that proved to be the difference as Seibu edged Hiroshima at Seibu Dome.

Esteban German also had a pair of hits and an RBI for Seibu.