Yuma Mune doubled in two runs and Yuma Tongu hit a solo home run as the Orix Buffaloes edged the Hanshin Tigers 5-4 in Tuesday's Game 3 to lead the best-of-seven Japan Series two games to one.
An inning after Tongu, the 2023 Pacific League batting champion with a .307 average, homered to tie the game at 1-1, Mune capped a three-run fifth inning with a two-run double to right-center at Koshien Stadium.
A sacrifice fly by Kenya Wakatsuki pushed the Buffaloes' lead to 5-1 in the sixth, but the Central League champion Tigers battle back to score three runs in the seventh, with rookie Shota Morishita delivering a two-run single.
Orix right-hander Kohei Azuma, who had a 6-0 record with a 2.06 ERA in the regular season, allowed one run and five hits in five innings. He walked one and struck out four in an 81-pitch outing.
Hanshin left-hander Masashi Ito gave up four runs, two earned, in five innings of work.
In the first Japan Series between teams from the western Kansai region since 1964, the Tigers took the opener 8-0 and the Buffaloes won Game 2 by the same score.
