Dragons roar back to even CL series

Kazuki Yoshimi came out on top in a duel featuring two pitchers who won 16 games this season as the Chunichi Dragons edged the Yakult Swallows 3-2 Sunday night at Nagoya Dome to force a third and deciding Game 3 in Stage 1 of the Central League Climax Series. The teams go at it again tonight, with the winner moving on to face the CL champion Giants in the best-of-seven Stage 2 beginning Wednesday at Tokyo Dome, with Yomiuri enjoying a one-game lead going in. The Swallows won Saturday's series opener 3-2. Meanwhile Saturday, the Rakuten Eagles completed a two-game sweep of the Softbank Hawks in the first stage of the Pacific League Climax Series. In Nagoya on Sunday, Masahiro Araki drove in the winning run with a line shot up the middle off Swallows starter Shohei Tateyama--who tied Yoshimi for the CL lead in wins this... [read full story]                    

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