HIROSHIMA (Interstat) — Naru Katsuda hit a sacrifice fly to right field in the bottom of the 11th inning, scoring Minoru Ohmori and giving the Hiroshima Carp a 2-1 victory over the Yomiuri Giants on Tuesday afternoon at Mazda Zoom-Zoom Stadium in Hiroshima, Japan. The game lasted 3 hours, 53 minutes and drew an announced attendance of 32,362. Hiroshima improved to 54-74-4, while Yomiuri fell to 73-60-2. Kenya Suzuki earned the win in relief, improving to 3-2. Yuji Akahoshi took the loss, falling to 6-4.

The Carp broke through first on Keisuke Sato’s run-scoring single, and they held the lead until the seventh. Yomiuri tied the game when Takumi Ohshiro singled to shallow center to drive in a run. The Giants had chances to move ahead later, but Hiroshima’s bullpen repeatedly escaped trouble. The Carp also failed to capitalize on several scoring opportunities before finally breaking through in the 11th. The teams combined for 13 hits, with Yomiuri finishing with six and Hiroshima with seven.

Shosei Togo started for Yomiuri and was effective over five innings. He allowed two hits and one earned run while walking two and striking out seven. Togo retired the side in order in the first and fourth, and he struck out the side in the fifth. His only costly inning came when Hiroshima strung together a single, a sacrifice bunt and an RBI single to take the lead. Shogo Tamamura, Hiroshima’s top star, worked six-plus innings and allowed five hits and one earned run with five strikeouts. Tamamura had allowed no earned runs over 5 1/3 innings in his previous appearance against Yakult. He kept Yomiuri scoreless through six innings before running into trouble in the seventh.

Yomiuri’s bullpen kept the game close after Togo departed. Hiromasa Funabasama recorded one out with a strikeout. Shunya Morita worked a scoreless inning with one strikeout. Eito Tanaka allowed one hit over a scoreless inning. The Giants’ relievers did not allow an earned run, but they could not generate the offense needed to take the lead. Hiroshima’s bullpen was even sharper. Atsushi Endoh struck out two in a hitless inning. Daisuke Moriura also struck out two in a hitless inning. Freddy Tarnok and Kenya Suzuki each added a hitless inning. Daichi Ohsera allowed one hit and one walk with one strikeout over a scoreless inning. Together, the Carp’s relief corps kept Yomiuri off the scoreboard after the seventh.

The early innings moved quickly. Yomiuri went down in order in the first on a flyout to right by Go Matsumoto, a flyout to left by Naoki Yoshikawa and a groundout to the pitcher by Yuta Izuguchi. Hiroshima also went quietly in the first, as Togo struck out Keisuke Sato and retired Ryosuke Kikuchi and Shosei Nakamura on groundouts. In the second, Bobby Dalbec and Hayato Sakamoto struck out around a single by Ohshiro, and Yamato Suzuki grounded out to second. Hiroshima’s Shogo Sakakura and Tai Sasaki struck out in the bottom half, though Shota Suekane drew a two-out walk before Tomoki Ishihara flew out to left.

Yomiuri threatened in the third when Misaki Sasahara doubled to center with no outs. Shosei Togo grounded out to the catcher, moving Sasahara to third, but Matsumoto and Yoshikawa both struck out swinging to end the inning. Hiroshima answered with its first run. Naru Katsuda singled to shallow center, Shogo Tamamura sacrificed him to second, and Sato singled to shallow right to drive in the run. Kikuchi popped out to third, and after Nakamura walked, Sakakura struck out swinging to end the inning.

Both starters settled in after that. Yomiuri went down in order in the fourth and fifth, and Hiroshima did the same in the fourth. In the fifth, Togo struck out Katsuda, Tamamura and Sato in succession. Yomiuri’s best early chance came in the sixth, but Yusei Ishizuka grounded out, Matsumoto struck out and Yoshikawa grounded out. Hiroshima loaded the bases in the sixth with two outs, as Sakakura doubled, Sasaki walked and Suekane walked, but Ishihara struck out swinging to strand all three runners.

Yomiuri finally broke through in the seventh. Izuguchi singled to shallow right, Dalbec singled to shallow center and Ohshiro singled to shallow center to score Izuguchi. Hayato Sakamoto flew out to right, Yoshihiro Maru flew out to the catcher and Sasahara lined out to third, leaving runners on second and third. Hiroshima went down in order in the seventh, with Katsuda grounding out, Elehuris Montero striking out and Sato grounding out to the pitcher.

In the eighth, Yomiuri put together another scoring chance. Shunsuke Sasaki singled to shallow center and was sacrificed to second by Matsumoto. Yoshikawa grounded out to second for the second out, but Izuguchi walked and stole second to put runners on second and third. Dalbec struck out swinging to end the threat. Hiroshima got a two-out single from Sakakura in the bottom half, but Ohmori was caught stealing at second to end the inning.

The ninth brought more missed opportunities. Yomiuri went down when Ohshiro grounded out, Sakamoto struck out swinging and Makoto Kadowaki struck out looking. Hiroshima then put runners in scoring position when Sasaki singled, Norihiko Nabara grounded out to the pitcher and Shogo Akiyama doubled to right. With runners on second and third and one out, Katsuda popped out to first and Takayoshi Noma popped out to third, keeping the game tied.

Yomiuri went quietly in the 10th, as Sasahara struck out swinging, Sasaki grounded out to the pitcher and Matsumoto struck out swinging. Hiroshima also failed to score in the 10th, with Sato grounding out to shortstop, Kikuchi grounding out to third and Nakamura flying out to right. In the 11th, Yoshikawa grounded out to shortstop, Izuguchi flew out to center and Dalbec flew out to right, giving Hiroshima one more chance.

Ohmori drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the 11th. Konosuke Tatsumi sacrificed him to second with a bunt to the pitcher. Nabara singled to shallow right, moving Ohmori to third. Taiki Mochimaru was intentionally walked to load the bases. Katsuda then lifted a sacrifice fly to right field. Ohmori scored standing up, and the Carp completed the walk-off win.

The result gave Hiroshima a late-season victory over a Giants team that had entered with a much stronger record. Yomiuri’s offense managed six hits and drew several walks but stranded runners in key spots. Hiroshima found just enough offense and received strong work from its bullpen. The teams are scheduled to continue their series Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at Mazda Zoom-Zoom Stadium.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a 1-0 final in favor of Yomiuri. Interstat’s ELO system gave Yomiuri a 58.8 percent probability to win. Yomiuri was installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of +1.5. The combined total of 3 finished under the over/under line of 5.5.