Light-hitting Hiroto Kobukata's three-run ninth-inning home run brought the Pacific League's last-place Rakuten Eagles from behind in a 6-4 walk-off win over the Central League-leading Hanshin Tigers in interleague play Thursday.
Hanshin closer Atsuki Yuasa (0-1) issued a pair of one-out walks, but was one out from securing the save at Rakuten Mobile Park Miyagi, when Kobukata pulled his first pitch just over the wall in right to end it. The homer was the 11th of Kobukata's four-year pro career.
"Even though we haven't been winning much, the fans' support has given us strength through it all," Kobukata said. "We're doing all we can to prepare, and every day, we go out intent on winning. We're going to keep giving our all."
Tigers lefty Masashi Ito allowed three runs over seven innings and was poised to pick up the win after Hanshin scored three unearned runs in the eighth.
The Lotte Marines were the only other PL team to win Thursday, beating the Yakult Swallows 3-2.
The CL's second-place DeNA BayStars held off the SoftBank Hawks 6-5 to pick up a game on the Tigers, while Hiroshima Carp won 7-2 to complete a three-game sweep of the Nippon Ham Fighters.
Yoshihiro Maru's 10th-inning pinch-hit grand slam broke up a scoreless game in the Yomiuri Giants' 6-0 win over the Orix Buffaloes, while the Chunichi Dragons bludgeoned the Seibu Lions 8-2 in a complete game victory for Yuya Yanagi (2-4).
