There were a couple of big home runs from unexpected sources on Wednesday, while the Yakult Swallows continued to lose, dropping their 13th straight.

Central League

Carp 5, Swallows 3

At Jingu Stadium, Seiya Suzuki opened the scoring with his 15th home run, a first-tinning, two-run shot off rookie lefty Keiji Takahashi (0-2), tied it with a broken-bat, fifth-inning double and scored from second on a two-out infield single as the Carp came from a run down to take command after a rain delay.

The Swallows, who lost their 13th straight, took a one-run lead in the bottom of the first on rookie Munetaka Murakami‘s 14th home run, a three-run shot off Daichi Osera.

Osera (5-2), who allowed four runs in six innings against the Swallows two weeks earlier, improved to 11-0 in his career against Yakult, the only CL team he has never lost to.

A night after loading the bases in with a one-run lead, Carp closer Shota Nakazaki again made things interesting, putting the tying runs on board with walks before nailing down his eighth save.

Tigers 8, Giants 4, 12 innings

At Koshien Stadium, Shun Takayama, whose career has gone nowhere since he was the CL’s 2016 rookie of the year, hit a pinch-hit, sayonara grand slam to lift Hanshin over Yomiuri. It was his second career pinch-hit homer, the other one coming on Sept. 29, 2017.

Jefry Marte, who singled and scored Hanshin’s first run, tied the game with his fifth home run, a two-run, eighth-inning homer off former closer Hirokazu Sawamura. Marte went 3-for-5, opening the Tigers 11th with a single.

Hayato Sakamoto became the 104th NPB player with 200 career home runs, while new Giant Yoshihiro Maru hit his 155th and 156th, and lefty Nobutaka Imamura allowed two runs over six innings.

Hanshin side-armer Koyo Aoyagi remained winless at Koshien against the Giants in his career, allowing three runs over five innings on eight hits, two walks, and a hit batsman.

BayStars 2, Dragons 1, 11 innings

At Nagoya Dome, Yoshitomo Tsutsugo singled home the tie-breaking run in the top of the 11th off Chunichi closer Hiroshi Suzuki (0-2).

Dragons starter Yudai Ono struck out seven, allowed a run over eight innings, while contributing to Chunichi’s sixth-inning game-tying run with a one-out single.

Pacific League

Lions 4, Eagles 1

At Hirosaki, Ken Togame (3-0) struck out seven and allowed one run over six innings, while Hotaka Yamaka hit his 22nd home run in Seibu’s win over Rakuten. The home run puts Yamakawa on pace to hit 64 this season. The current NPB record is 60, set by Wladimir Balentien of the Yakult Swallows.

A night after he homered twice and drove in five runs, Jabari Blash came to bat with runners on just once and walked.

Hawks 5, Buffaloes 2

At Kyocera Dome, rookie Go Kamamoto went 3-for-4 and singled home two runners who had reached on errors to snap a 2-2, fourth-inning tie as SoftBank snapped a three-game losing streak.

Hawks starter Kotaro Otake (2-2) escaped several jams to allow two runs over six innings on eight hits while striking out one. Orix starter Daiki Matsuba (0-4) allowed four runs, two earned, on nine hits and a walk over six innings to take the loss.

Yurisbel Gracial drove in an insurance run for the Hawks with his ninth home run

Fighters 5, Marines 3

At Sapporo Dome, Kensuke Tanaka, playing in his final pro season, hit the second pinch-hit home run of his career, the previous one coming on Sept. 28, 2005. This one was also a two-run shot and also against Lotte. What is it about September pinch-hit home runs?

This one overturned a 4-3 deficit with two outs in the eighth inning. Lotte rookie Daiki Iwashita allowed an unearned run on four walks and three hits over six innings, but a pair of relievers let the Fighters back in the game.

Ryo Akiyoshi worked a 1-2-3 ninth to record his 10th save.

In other news:

• On Tuesday, Yakult Swallows reliever Ryota Igarashi celebrated his 40th birthday by pitching in his 800th NPB game. Igarashi, who pitched in 83 major league games, mostly with the New York Mets, is seventh all-time in career games. Japan’s career saves leader, Hitoki Iwase, pitched in 1,002 — all for the Chunichi Dragons.

Daisuke Matsuzaka pitched in a live game for the first time this season, while two Central League games were rained out on Tuesday and the Pacific League has a new leader.

Central League

Carp 8, Swallows 7

At Jingu Stadium, Yakult fought back from a six-run deficit to make it a one-run game, but left five runners on base over the last two innings and fell to its 12th straight loss. The Swallows loaded the bases in the ninth on two walks and a hit batsman, but could not touch Hiroshima closer Shota Nakazaki’s slider as he recorded his seventh save.

Carp catcher Tsubasa Aizawa tied the game 1-1 with a fly to center that was blown out for a home run and provided a crucial insurance run in the eighth with his second of the game and his sixth of the season.

Pacific League

Fighters 4, Marines 3

At Sapporo Dome, second-year slugger Kotaro Kiyomiya doubled in two runs in the fourth inning and then scored the tying run as Nippon Ham came from three runs down to beat Lotte. Four relievers kept the Marines scoreless with former Japan reliever Ryo Akiyoshi pitching out of a two-out jam to record his ninth save.

Eagles 7, Lions 2

At Morioka, Jabari Blash overturned a 2-0 deficit with a three-run, sixth-inning home run off Seibu’s Tatsuya Imai (4-5) and added a two-run shot in the seventh, giving him 15 homers on the season. The Eagles’ win lifted them into first place after the Hawks lost in Osaka.

Locked in a scoreless duel, two of Rakuten starter Takahiro Shiomi’s mistakes cleared the fence, a fat fastball in the sixth to Shogo Akiyama (10) and a hanging curve to NPB home run leader Hotaka Yamaka (21), in the seventh. Shiomi, who made his first start of the season last week in his comeback from back surgery improved to 2-0.

Imai did not allow a hit through five, but former Lion captain Hideto Asamura opened the Eagles’ seventh with a single, Zelous Wheeler followed with a double, and Blash bashed a high straight 2-1 fastball. The Eagles followed by loading the bases and with two outs, Hiroaki Shimauchi stole home on a pickoff throw to second, and another run scored when the throw home sailed over the catcher.

Buffaloes 3, Hawks 1

At Kyocera Dome, Yoshinobu Yamamoto (3-2) struck out nine over seven scoreless innings, while career minor leaguer Akira Niho (0-1) allowed a run over four innings in his first start in seven years as the Hawks lost their third straight.

Yamamoto has made three starts against SoftBank this season and has struck out 27 batters in 24 scoreless innings but this was his first win against the Hawks. Hirotoshi Masui allowed a run in the ninth but recorded his NPB-best 15th save.

In other news

• Daisuke Matsuzaka pitched in a Western League game at the SoftBank Hawks, the team he played for from 2015 to 2017 after leaving the majors. He threw two innings at Chikugo’s Tamahome Stadium, and said it felt like coming home: “Compared to Fukuoka Dome, I spent almost all my time with the Hawks here, so it was a homecoming.” He struck out three and is on track for a return to first-team duty in a week.