TOKYO (Interstat) — Jose Osuna’s three-run homer in the fourth inning erased an early deficit and propelled the Tokyo Yakult Swallows to a 3-1 victory over the Yomiuri Giants in a brisk, six-inning contest Sunday evening at Meiji Jingu Stadium.

The win, secured before a crowd of 29,328 in a game that lasted 2 hours, 57 minutes, gave the Swallows a series victory in the three-game set and solidified their position atop the early standings. Yakult improved to 14-5 across all competitions, while Yomiuri fell to 10-9.

The game’s decisive moment came in the bottom of the fourth, turning the contest on its head. Yomiuri had scratched across the game’s first run in the top of the frame on a sacrifice fly by Yuta Izuguchi. Giants starter Haruto Inoue, tabbed as the team’s top star, had been sharp through three innings, but trouble began with one out in the Swallows’ half of the fourth.

After an error and a single, Inoue recorded a second out. But with two runners on, Osuna, the Swallows’ first baseman, connected on a towering drive to left field. The three-run shot provided all the offense Yakult would need, abruptly shifting a 1-0 pitchers’ duel into a 3-1 Swallows advantage.

Inoue was charged with the loss, his second of the season against one win. He worked 4 2/3 innings, allowing four hits and two earned runs while striking out seven. The loss continued a tough stretch for the right-hander against Yakult, having also been the losing pitcher in a 2-0 defeat on April 12.

Conversely, Yakult starter Shohta Masui earned the win, improving to 1-0. He delivered five strong innings, limiting the Giants to just two hits and one earned run while walking one and striking out four. His performance stifled a Yomiuri lineup that had managed only two hits all evening.

Following Masui, the Swallows’ bullpen was dominant, preserving the slim lead with four perfect innings of relief. Tomoya Hoshi, Jesus Liranzo, and Noboru Shimizu each contributed a scoreless frame before closer Jose Quijada entered in the ninth. Quijada overpowered the Giants, striking out the side around two walks to seal the victory and earn his eighth save of the young season.

The Giants’ offense was virtually nonexistent outside of their fourth-inning rally. Their only other threat came in the fifth when Riku Masuda led off with a double, but he was stranded at second. Yomiuri’s final 14 batters were retired in order from the fifth through the eighth innings.

Yakult’s bullpen dominance underscored a game defined by pitching and one critical swing. The Swallows managed six hits off three Yomiuri pitchers, with Inoue, Elvis Luciano, and Yuji Akahoshi combining for 12 strikeouts.

The result defied pregame projections. Interstat’s game simulator had forecast a high-scoring 6-5 victory for Yomiuri, and its ELO system gave the Giants a narrow 50.30 percent probability to win. Yakult had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of +1.5. The actual total of four runs fell well under the over/under line of 7.5.

The victory gives Yakult momentum as they embark on a six-game road trip, starting with a three-game series against the Hiroshima Toyo Carp on Tuesday. The Swallows have now won four of their last five games.

Yomiuri, meanwhile, looks to regroup after dropping two of three in the series. The Giants return home to Tokyo Dome to begin a two-game set against the Chunichi Dragons on Tuesday. They will aim to rediscover an offensive rhythm that produced only three runs over the final two games of the Yakult series.

For the Swallows, the formula of strong starting pitching, a lockdown bullpen, and timely power hitting proved sufficient on a night where opportunities were scarce. Osuna’s one swing provided the necessary margin, ensuring Yakult maintained its strong early-season form.