JAPAN – Takumi Kobe stroked a game-winning single in the final inning to give the Lotte Marines a 5-4 triumph against the Chunichi Dragons at Nagoya Dome on Wednesday in pre-season action from the Japanese League.

Lotte erased a 1-0 deficit in the third when Tsuyoshi Nishioka cracked a two-run blast to put Bobby Valentine’s squad on top, 2-1. But the Dragons fought back and regained the lead, 4-2, in the fifth on Atsushi Fujii’s two-run triple.

In another pre-season contest, former Texas Rangers’ slugger Jason Botts clubbed a three-run blast to lead the Nippon Ham Fighters past the Yakult Swallows, 5-4, at Sapporo Dome. Hichori Morimoto hit a walkoff double to seal the dramatic win.

Finally, the Rakuten Eagles erupted for six runs in the third inning and went on to blank the Softbank Hawks, 6-0, at Yahoo Dome. Teppei Tsuchiya ripped a two-run home run and Rick Short went 3-for-3 for the Eagles.

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Tags: Japan