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Dragons take over 1st in CL

The last time the Chunichi Dragons were in first place in the Central League, the season was young -- just learning to crawl.
The Dragons crawled back into first with a tough 1-0 win over the Yokohama BayStars on Friday at Nagoya Dome in a three-horse race for the CL title.
Masahiko Morino’s scoring flyball in the eighth inning was the game’s only run in a pitching duel between a pair of young hurlers who ended up with no decisions after seven scoreless innings each.
The Dragons, who took over the top spot in the CL for first for time since April 15, have three shutouts already this month with a team ERA of 0.75.
Chunichi second-year righty Shinji Iwata scattered two hits and three walks with a half-dozen strikeouts, while rookie right-hander Shigeru Kaga frustrated the Dragons by working around four hits and four walks with four Ks.
The Dragons broke through against reliever Shintaro Ejiri (1-2), who walked one before getting an out and getting the hook.
Takuya Asao (3-1) worked 1.1 scoreless innings and Hitoki Iwase, who became the first reliever to appear in at least 50 over 12 consecutive years, recorded his 38th save.
The Dragons have a CL-high 71 wins, while the Tigers and Yomiuri Giants are tied with 67 each. Both teams have games in hand on the Dragons.

SWALLOWS 7, TIGERS 4
Kazuhiro Hatakeyama’s solo blast in the seventh got Yakult even and Shingo Kawabata singled over a drawn-in infield to break the tie and in a win over Hanshin at Koshien Stadium.
Starter Masanori Ishikawa (11-8) allowed two runs over 6.2 innings to tie a club record by winning his ninth straight decision.

GIANTS 5, CARP 4, 10 INNINGS
Michihiro Ogasawara blasted his 31st homer to lead off the 10th as Yomiuri got past Hiroshima in Niigata.
It was Ogasawara’s first walk-off shot in five seasons and his first with the Giants.
Marc Kroon (4-2) set down the side in order, fanning two, to get the win.

PACIFIC LEAGUE
LIONS 12, MARINES 8
Takeya Nakamura celebrated his wife’s birthday with two longballs, including a go-ahead three-run shot in the seventh, and had four RBIs as Seibu rocked Lotte at Seibu Dome.
Jose Fernandez homered and doubled to drive in three for Seibu.

FIGHTERS 2, HAWKS 1, 10 INNINGS
Hichori Morimoto squeezed home the go-ahead run in the 10th as Nippon Ham got past SoftBank at Yahoo! Japan Dome.
The loss pushed the Hawks two games back of the Lions.

BUFFALOES 5, EAGLES 1
Aarom Baldiris had a two-run single in the first inning and a solo homer in the seventh to carry Orix past Rakuten in Sendai.