Takuya Kai of the SoftBank Hawks hits a two-run single against the Orix Buffaloes at PayPay Dome in Fukuoka Prefecture on Sept. 4, 2021. (Kyodo)

       FUKUOKA (Kyodo) -- Yusuke Oyama propelled the Hanshin Tigers into first place in the Central League with a game-winning two-run ninth-inning home run in a 4-3 win over the Yomiuri Giants, who entered Saturday's game in first.

       Kento Itohara battled hard-throwing Giants closer Thyago Vieira (0-1) before smashing a leadoff single. Vieira threw a straight fastball that Oyama launched out to left for his 15th home run.

       "I'm really happy. I thought it was going to get over the fence and it carried out for me. It's big to win such an important game but this is not over and I want to do my best the rest of the way," said Oyama.

       Takumi Oshiro singled in the game's first run off Tigers starter Joe Gunkel in the fourth inning, only for the Tigers to take the lead in the fifth when Oyama singled and scored on a home run by catcher Ryutaro Umeno off Giants starter Yuki Takahashi.

       The lead was brief, however, as Japan's home run leader Kazuma Okamoto cracked his 34th home run with a runner on in the sixth.

       At Tokyo Dome, lefty Koya Takahashi (3-4) threw six scoreless innings and the Hiroshima Carp belted three homers in a 4-2 win over the third-place Yakult Swallows.

       At Vantelin Dome Nagoya, Fernando Romero (1-2) worked six innings to earn his first Japan win after Keita Sano hit a two-run home run in the DeNA BayStars' 3-1 win over the Chunichi Dragons.

       At PayPay Dome, Takuya Kai's two-run single put his team in front and triggered a scoring avalanche as the fourth-place SoftBank Hawks came from behind to beat the Pacific League-leading Orix Buffaloes 11-4.

       At Rakuten Seimei Park Miyagi, Takayuki Kishi (7-7) limited his former team to three runs over six innings as the Eagles beat the Seibu Lions 8-5. A day after his 38th birthday, Lions designated hitter Takumi Kuriyama went 1-for-4, becoming the 54th player to reach Japan's iconic 2,000-hit milestone.

       At Zozo Marine Stadium, reliever Yusuke Azuma pitched out of a two-on no-out fifth-inning jam to prevent the Nippon Ham Fighters from taking the lead in their 3-3 tie with the second-place Lotte Marines, who inched to within one game of the league-leading Buffaloes.

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