Big bats give Giants big boost …

The Yomiuri Giants seem to have that unbeatable quality, even when momentum seems to be going away from them.
Right after the Orix Buffaloes rallied to even the score in the eighth inning, rookie Hisayoshi Chono and Yoshiyuki Kamei cracked back-to-back homers as the three-time defending Central League champs downed the Buffaloes in interleague action 6-4 at Tokyo Dome on Monday.
Marc Kroon shut the Buffaloes down in order in the ninth for his ninth save.
“That home run was very timely,” said skipper Tatsunori Hara. “The game itself was tough for us. But Chono and Kamei had some big hits in the game and Kroon held them and that makes it a good win.
The Giants are four games in front of the Chunichi Dragons and Hanshin Tigers, and Hara wanted to slow the bandwagon -- since it’s still only May.
“Overall -- and I’m not sure how to word this -- but I don’t think we’re doing all that great right now.”
Tetsuya Utsumi got the start and an early 2-0 lead. But he served up a homer to Aarom Baldiris in the second that tied it and lefty ace reliever Tetsuya Yamaguchi (2-2) surrendered a game-tying two-run homer to Takahiro T.O. Okada in the eighth but walked away with the victory.
The homer was Chono’s sixth of the season, but his first at the Big Egg. It was the second homer for Kamei, who has been sidelined much of the first half.

DRAGONS 3, EALGES 0
Yudai Kawai, who was a first-half fixture in the rotation last season, finally made his first-team debut and worked six messy-but-scoreless innings, and Tony Blanco singled in a run in the first inning and later homered in a win over Rakuten at Nagoya Dome.
Kawai allowed five hits and two walks, and uncorked a pair of wild pitches in winning his first decision since July 30.

CARP 3, LIONS 0
Eric Stultz (2-3) scattered four hits and three walks over 6.1 innings, and Eiishin Soyogi belted his fifth homer, a two-run shot in the third inning, as Hiroshima blanked Seibu at the Zoom.
The Carp beat Takayuki Kishi (7-2), who had won seven straight decisions after dropping his first start.

TIGERS 5, MARINES 4
Matt Murton scored from third on Kenji Jojima’s flyout to center as Hanshin, which blew a 4-1 lead, recorded a walk-off win over Lotte at Koshien.
The win gave the CL a sweep of Monday’s games.

Rainouts
The Hawks and BayStars game in Kanagawa, and the Swallows and Fighters game at Jingu Stadium were rained out, as were four games on Sunday.