Daisuke Motoki doubled home the go-ahead run in the top of the 10th inning Sunday as the Yomiuri Giants took over the first place in the Central League standings with a 4-3 victory over the Hanshin Tigers.

Motoki doubled into the alley in left field at Koshien Stadium to score Masahiro Kawai from first and saddle Hanshin closer Marc Valdes (0-1) with his first loss of the season.

Yomiuri reliever Junichi Kawahara (2-2), who blew a save opportunity in the ninth by giving up a pair of hits that let Hanshin tie the score 3-3, was credited with the win.

The Giants won their third in a row while Hanshin fell to its sixth loss in its last seven games.

Dragons 8, Carp 2

At Hiroshima Stadium, Leo Gomez smashed a two-run homer in the third inning and Kazuki Inoue drove in a pair of runs in the eighth as Chunichi pounded the Carp.

Inoue made a spectacular catch of a line drive in right field to rescue the Dragons from a two-out, bases-loaded jam in the second inning.

BayStars 4, Swallows 2

In Fukushima, Takuro Ishii went 2-for-3 with a solo homer in the eighth inning that broke a 2-2 tie as Yokohama edged Yakult.

Tatsuhiko Kinjo added a run for insurance in the ninth on a sacrifice fly to left with one out and runners in the corners.

PACIFIC LEAGUE

Hawks 6, Buffaloes 5

At the Osaka Dome, Tadahito Iguchi singled home the go-ahead run in the ninth inning and Rodney Pedraza was perfect in the bottom half of the frame as Daiei ended the Kintetsu’s 10-game winning streak.

BlueWave 5, Fighters 1

At the Tokyo Dome, Kazuhiko Shiotani broke a scoreless tie with an RBI single in the seventh inning and belted a three-run homer in the ninth as Orix defeated Nippon Ham.

Marines 5, Lions 3

Derrick May doubled in the go-ahead run in the third inning as Chiba Lotte snapped Seibu’s nine-game winning streak.