Career day ...

B’s take out M’s behind Baldiris

Aarom Baldiris had a career day, going 4-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs as the Orix Buffaloes avoided a sweep by routing the Lotte Marines 11-7 at Kyocera Dome Osaka on Sunday. Baldiris has a great gig, but it was a career day nonetheless.
Baldiris, batting in the No. 7 slot, cracked a two-run homer in a five-run fifth inning that boosted the B’s to an 11-4 lead, and Orix needed Jon Leicester to record a four-out save, escaping two bases-loaded jams along the way, to close out the victory for the Pacific League’s fourth-place Buffalos.
Baldiris, a Venezuelan whose English isn’t exactly the most quotable, said he felt good at the plate in the on-field postgame interview. The infielder had never had a three-hit game in two-seasons with the Hanshin Tigers. He homered for the second time in as many days, and his four knocks upped his average to .378.
Leicester picked up his sixth save, his first since April 18, closing it out for Hiroshi Kisanuki (3-4). The starter worked five-plus innings, allowing four runs on six hits, three walks and a hit batter.

LIONS 4, HAWKS 1
Kazuyuki Hoashi (5-2) held SoftBank to one run over eight innings as Seibu moved into first place in the PL with a win at Fukuoka Yahoo! Japan Dome.

FIGHTERS 7, EAGLES 3
Shinji Takahashi’s seventh-innning, two-out grand slam, his third hit against Rakuten, broke a tie and powered host Nippon Ham.

CENTRAL LEAGUE

GIANTS 7, BAYSTARS 5
Stephen Randolph can’t win and Tetsuya Utsumi has yet to lose. Randolph (0-6) gave up five runs before recording an out and the front-running Giants won their fifth straight and moved 12 games above .500 with a win in Niigata.
Utusmi (5-0) allowed three runs in five innings, and four releivers protected the lead.

SWALLOWS 9, DRAGONS 0
Kyohei Muranaka (3-4) tossed seven scoreless innnigs, and Jamie D’Antona had three hits -- including a two-run homer -- as Yakult blanked Chunichi to salvage the finale of their three-game series at Nagoya Dome.

TIGERS 4, CARP 3
Craig Brazell went deep twice and Matt Murton drove in what proved to be the difference with a two-run double in the seventh as Hanshin held off Hiroshima at Koshien Stadium.