YOKOHAMA, Japan (Interstat) — The Yokohama BayStars rallied from a four-run deficit and exploded for five runs in the sixth inning, beating the Yomiuri Giants 11-6 on Friday night at Yokohama Stadium in a game completed in seven innings.

Attendance was 32,445, and the game lasted 3 hours, 44 minutes. The win improved Yokohama’s record to 33-43-3, while Yomiuri fell to 40-36-2.

Yomiuri jumped ahead in the top of the first inning when Bobby Dalbec hit a grand slam to right field, scoring Shunsuke Urata, Go Matsumoto and Trey Cabbage. The Giants added a double by Takumi Ohshiro and loaded the bases later in the inning, but Urata grounded out to second to end the frame with Yomiuri leading 4-0.

Forrest Whitley, Yomiuri’s starting pitcher, worked five innings and allowed two earned runs on five hits with six strikeouts. He kept the BayStars in check through the early innings, surrendering a run in the first on Jerar Encarnacion’s single and another in the second on Atsushi Katsumata’s double. Yokohama trailed 4-2 after two innings.

Whitley retired 10 of the final 11 batters he faced before departing. Yomiuri added to its lead in the top of the seventh when Ohshiro hit a two-run home run to right off BayStars reliever Shuto Ogata, extending the Giants’ advantage to 6-2.

The game turned in the bottom of the sixth. Yomiuri reliever Yuji Akahoshi entered and struggled. Yoshitomo Tsutsugoh walked, Encarnacion singled and Toshiro Miyazaki doubled to left-center to score one run. Shion Matsuo followed with a two-run single to shallow right, cutting the lead to 6-5. Tatsuo Ebina singled, Taiki Ishikami bunted for a hit to third and Keita Sano drew a bases-loaded walk to force in the tying run. Atsushi Katsumata then hit a fly ball to left that was dropped for an error, allowing the go-ahead run to score. Shugo Maki flied out to the pitcher, Tsutsugoh struck out and Encarnacion flied out to left to end the inning, but Yokohama had taken a 7-6 lead.

In the bottom of the seventh, Yokohama added three more runs against Yomiuri relievers Kenshin Hotta and Shunya Morita. With one out and runners on first and third after Toshiro Miyazaki walked and Shion Matsuo singled, Ryuki Watarai drove a three-run home run to right-center field, extending the BayStars’ lead to 11-6. Atsushi Katsumata struck out swinging to end the inning.

Yomiuri mounted no further rally. Ogata, who started for Yokohama, allowed four earned runs on five hits in three innings. Jose Ruiz gave up two earned runs in one-third of an inning but was not the pitcher of record. Hansel Marcelino earned the win with one inning of work, allowing one hit and striking out two. Marcelino improved to 1-0 on the season.

Eito Tanaka of Yomiuri took the loss, falling to 1-2. Tanaka faced four batters in the sixth without recording an out, allowing four earned runs on four hits. Yomiuri used five pitchers: Whitley, Akahoshi, Tanaka, Hotta and Morita. Hotta and Morita each threw one inning, allowed one hit and struck out one.

Yokohama’s bullpen also featured Hiromu Ise, who worked one inning and allowed one hit, and Daita Miyagi, who pitched two-thirds of a scoreless inning.

The Giants finished with 11 hits, led by Bobby Dalbec, who went 3 for 4 with a grand slam and a single. Takumi Ohshiro doubled and homered, driving in three runs. Shunsuke Urata had two singles and stole two bases. The BayStars collected 13 hits. Toshiro Miyazaki doubled and scored twice. Shion Matsuo had two singles and two RBIs. Ryuki Watarai’s three-run home run was the decisive blow.

Defensively, Yomiuri committed one error in the sixth inning that contributed to Yokohama’s rally.

The game marked the fourth meeting between the teams this season. Yomiuri had won the previous three head-to-head contests, including a 2-1 victory on June 28. The series continues with games Saturday and Sunday at Yokohama Stadium.

Interstat’s game simulator projected a final score of Yokohama BayStars 5, Yomiuri Giants 4. The ELO system gave Yokohama a 51.30 percent probability to win. Yomiuri was installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of plus 1.5. The total combined runs of 17 went over the over/under line of 6.5.