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Tokyo Dome | Attendance: 45,409 | Time: 3h 33m | Giants lead series, 3-1.

The Giants beat the Dragons, 5-4, to take a 3-1 lead in the series.

The Dragons took an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first after Masahiro Araki (3-for-5, 2B, 2 R) hit a 1-out single and came around to score on a home run hit by Masahiko Morino (1-for-4, HR, R, 3 RBI).

Yomiuri managed to tied the game at 2 in the bottom of the 6th on back-to-back 2-out home runs by Alex Ramirez (1-for-4, HR, R, RBI) and Yoshiyuki Kamei (1-for-4, HR, 2 R, RBI).

But the tie wouldn't last long as the Dragons retook the lead in the top of the 7th:

Pinch hitter Kazuki Inoue (1-for-1, R) led off with a single and advanced to second on a sac bunt.   Araki followed with a single that put runners on first and third.  Tetsuya Yamaguchi relieved Daisuke Ochi.  Morino's ground out to second scored Inoue from third and advanced Araki to second.  Tony Blanco (1-for-4, RBI) then hit a single in to right to score Araki from second.  The inning ended with Kazuhiro Wada (0-for-3, BB) grounding out to short.

Down 4-2 in the bottom of the second, the Giants staged a mini-rally of their own to accomplish what they couldn't do before:

Takuya Asao relieved Akifumi Takahashi to start the inning.  Hayato Sakamoto (0-for-3, BB, R) walked to start the inning.  Tetsuya Matsumoto (2-for-4, R) hit a single into right that put runners on first and second.  Michihiro Ogasawara (1-for-4) flied out to right.  Ramirez advanced the runners to second and third on a ground out to second.  A fielding error by Ibata (SS) allowed Sakamoto to score, advanced Matsumoto to third, and put Kamei on first.  Pinch hitter Ryota Wakiya (1-for-1, 2B, 2 RBI) then came up with a big 2-run double that put the Giants out in front, 5-4.  Shinnosuke Abe (2-for-3, IBB, 2B) was intentionally walked to put runners on first and second and Shigeyuki Furuki (1-for-4) almost kept the inning going with a single into left, but Wakiya was thrown out at home for the final out of the inning.

Marc Kroon took the mound for the Giants in the top of the 9th and retired the side in order for the save.

Missed Opportunities
Dragons
3rd: runners on second and third, 1 out > Morino struck out and Blanco struck out
4th: bases loaded, 1 out > Yoshimi GIDP
6th: runners on first and second, 2 out > Tanishige struck out
7th: runner on second, 2 out > Wada grounded out

Giants
1st: runners on first and second, 1 out > Ramirez fouled out to first and Kamei grounded out
2nd: runner on second, 1 out > Furuki flied out and H. Takahashi struck out
5th: runners on first and second, 1 out > Sakamoto GIDP
8th: runners on first and second, 2 out > Furuki singled, runner on second thrown out at home

Dragons: 7 LOB, 1 DP
Giants: 6 LOB, 1 DP

News
The Giants outhit the Dragons, 10-8. ... Takahashi has not lost a game since 8/30. ... Prior to his single in the 7th, Blanco had stuck out in 7 straight trips to the plate.

Chunichi Dragons

Yomiuri Giants

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...Hiromitsu Ochiai after the game:

"I'm not answering any questions that look back on what happened during the Climax Series. So stop asking the same questions.  I know what you guys already want to ask."

...Game 3 starters: Kenichi Nakata (CHU) vs Shun Tono (YOM)

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