Veteran Yomiuri Giants outfielder Takayuki Kajitani saved a run with his glove and smacked a game-breaking two-run home run in a 4-0 Central League win Friday over the defending Japan Series champion Hanshin Tigers on Opening Day.
Coming off their first Japan Series championship since 1985, the Tigers were poised to break the ice in the third against Shosei Togo, making his first career Opening Day start for the Giants.
With two on and one out, Kajitani made a diving catch in right field and doubled off the runner at first to prevent two runs. Togo, who pitched for Japan in last year's World Baseball Classic, worked six innings to earn the win.
With the Giants leading 1-0 in the fifth, Kajitani homered to make it 3-0.
In other action from Nippon Professional Baseball's six Opening Day matchups, highly-touted DeNA BayStars rookie Ryuki Watarai belted a game-tying three-run homer in his second pro at-bat in a 4-3 CL win over the Hiroshima Carp.
The three-time defending Pacific League champion Orix Buffaloes started their season with a loss, 3-1 to the SoftBank Hawks.
