Tails lights ...

Hanshin back in 2nd

The Hanshin Tigers might have put the Yomiuri Giants in their tail lights.
Atsushi Nomi hurled six one-run innings and the Tigers parlayed four hits, a walk and a hit batter into three runs in the third inning of a 3-1 win at Koshien Stadium on Wednesday.
Neither team could afford to lose the game, but the Giants’ loss officially ended their three-year reign over the Central League. They fell into third with the loss.
The Tigers kept their hopes alive for a comeback title run, moving back into second and reducing their magic number to seven with seven games to play.
All that’s left now for the Giants is a second-place finish and a chance to play host to the second stage of the CLCS.
Nomi (6-0), who won his seventh straight against the Giants dating back to last year, allowed six hits, while walking two, hitting one and fanning three.
Giants starter Dicky Gonzalez (5-13) lost his third straight decision, setting a club record for foreign hurlers with his 13th loss.


CARP 12, BAYSTARS 4
Shigenobu Shima slugged a three-run shot and Eiishin Soyogi had three hits and two RBIs as Hiroshima routed visiting Yokohama.
Lefty Ken Takahashi faced one batter in his retirement game, striking out Jose Castillo in the eighth.

PACIFIC LEAGUE
MARINES 3, BUFFALOES 2
Needing at least a win or a tie to keep its playoff hopes alive, Lotte took the field against a power-diminished Orix team and edged the Buffaloes at Chiba Marine Stadium.
The Marines scored the eventual winner on a wild pitch in the eighth and can reach the playoffs for the first time in three years with a win or a tie on Thursday.

LIONS 4, EAGLES 1
Hideto Asamura hit a two-run homer and Jose Fernandez slugged a solo shot as Seibu completed its season with a victory over Rakuten at The Kleenex Box.

BROWN BOOTED FROM SENDAI
The Rakuten Eagles grounded Marty Brown after one season with the team.
Club representative Jun Maeda said the team informed Brown before the game that it would terminate his two-year contract at season’s end.
“It’s disappointing. It wasn’t my choice. This is part of baseball,” said Brown, who took over a team that finished in second last season but is in the PL cellar this year.