TOKYO (Interstat) — Bryan Mata pitched 6 2/3 innings, allowing one earned run and three hits while striking out six, and the visiting Yomiuri Giants defeated the host Yakult Swallows 9-2 on Thursday evening, Aug. 27, 2026, at Meiji Jingu Stadium.

The Giants scored six runs in the first inning, two in the second and one in the seventh. The Swallows scored one run in the first and one in the eighth. Yomiuri batters finished with 17 hits, while Yakult batters had four.

Yuta Izuguchi went 4 for 5 with an RBI for the Giants. Go Matsumoto added three hits and an RBI. Yamato Suzuki drove in three runs on two hits, and Bobby Dalbec homered with two RBIs. Mata improved to 2-1 with the win; Masanori Ishikawa dropped to 0-1 with the loss. Shota Maruyama allowed one hit over two scoreless relief innings for Yakult, and Ryuta Heinai pitched a scoreless inning for Yomiuri.

Yomiuri improved to 59-55-2. Yakult fell to 53-60-1. The game lasted 3 hours, 21 minutes before an announced crowd of 28,946.