The Yakult Swallows' Takeshi Miyamoto breaks a ninth-inning tie with a two-run pinch-hit single in a 6-1 Central League win over the Hanshin Tigers on July 1, 2021, at Koshien Stadium. (Kyodo)

       TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Reserve infielder Takeshi Miyamoto's two-out RBI pinch-hit single broke a ninth-inning tie against Hanshin Tigers closer Robert Suarez as the Yakult Swallows rallied to a 6-1 win over the Central League-leaders on Thursday.

       Suarez (1-1) who leads both leagues with 23 saves, lacked movement on his pitches after the Swallows loaded the bases with two singles and a two-out walk at Koshien Stadium outside Osaka.

       Miyamoto then lined a 1-0 160 kilometer (99.4 mile) per hour fastball into left to plate two runs that chased the Tigers' all-star closer.

       The Tigers took the lead in a tremendous pitchers' duel on catcher Ryutaro Umeno's second home run, a sixth-inning solo shot off rookie Yasunobu Okugawa, who worked seven innings.

       The third-place Swallows, who climbed to within five games of the Tigers, tied it in the seventh, when Tetsuto Yamada barely got fly ball out at the right-field foul pole for his 21st homer of the season.

       Umeno led off the eighth against Noboru Shimizu (1-3) but was doubled off as the right-hander recorded a strike out to end the inning and end up with the win.

       At Tokyo Dome, the Yomiuri Giants moved to within two games of the Tigers as Seiya Matsubara homered, scored twice and drove in four runs in a 10-4 come-from-behind win over the Hiroshima Carp, who chased ace Tomoyuki Sugano in the third inning.

       At Fukuoka's PayPay Dome, Seibu Lions reliever Kaima Taira set a record by not being charged with a run in 39 consecutive pitching appearances, earning his 11th save in a 1-0 Pacific League victory over the SoftBank Hawks. Taira gave up two hits in the ninth but was helped out of the jam by a Hawks base-running error.

       Taira had been tied at 38 scoreless appearances with former Tigers closer Kyuji Fujikawa, who managed that feat in 2006.

       At Sendai's Rakuten Seimei Park Miyagi, rookie Hiromi Ito (6-4) outdueled veteran Takayuki Kishi (3-6), each starter going seven innings in the Nippon Ham Fighters' 2-1 win over the Rakuten Eagles.

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