Japanese Sports Briefs

Oct 5, 2008 - 3:25 PM (Courtesy of Kyodo News Service)

TOKYO, Oct. 5 Kyodo ----------

Baseball: Hanshin beats Yakult, stays atop CL

TOKYO - Takashi Toritani doubled in two runs to spark a five-run fourth inning Sunday as the Hanshin Tigers beat the Yakult Swallows 8-3 and held a half-game lead over the Yomiuri Giants in a tight race for the Central League title.

In other games, Yomiuri blanked the Chunichi Dragons 3-0 and the Hiroshima Carp beat the Yokohama BayStars 7-2 to ensure a fourth-place finish. In the Pacific League, the Rakuten Eagles routed the Softbank Hawks 8-0. ----------

Judo: Japan's women win world team title, men settle for 5th

TOKYO - Japanese women team claimed victory in the final over France in dominant fashion, but their male counterparts were left to rue a lackluster fifth place performance at the judo world team championships on Sunday.

The Japanese female judoka steamrolled in the eight-team competition, brutalizing Germany 5-0 before booking a spot in the final with a 6-0 walloping of Algeria in the semis en route to a 5-1 win over France at Tokyo Budokan. ----------

Horse racing: Sleepless Night wins Sprinters Stakes

FUNABASHI, Japan - Top pick Sleepless Night romped to victory to claim her first Grade One title at the Sprinters Stakes on Sunday.

The 4-year-old filly pulled away down the home stretch at Nakayama Racecourse and crossed the line 1 1/4 lengths clear of second favorite Kinshasa No Kiseki in 1 minute, 8.0 seconds. BB Guldan was third. ----------

Soccer: Chiba stun Reds to move out of drop zone, Nagoya held by Verdy

CHIBA, Japan - Masaki Fukai struck twice to help haul resurgent JEF United Chiba out of the relegation quagmire after a stunning 3-2 win over Asian club champions Urawa Reds in the J-League on Sunday.

Chiba's fifth win in succession moved them into safety for the first time since March and in the process left Urawa three points off the pace behind leaders Kashima Antlers and Nagoya Grampus, who were held 1-1 at home to struggling Tokyo Verdy. ----------

Golf: Muto wins Tokai Classic for 2nd career win

MIYOSHI, Japan - Toshinori Muto birdied the final hole to win the Coca-Cola Tokai Classic by two strokes for his second career title and first in two years, edging unheralded Monday qualifier Yuta Ikeda on Sunday.

Muto made a 10-foot putt to seal victory on 11-under 277 after Ikeda, who shared the lead after 17 holes, hit his second shot into the water in front of the green and wound up with a bogey at Miyoshi Country Club in Aichi Prefecture. ----------

Golf: Final-hole birdie gives Lee Ji Hee Japan Women's Open title

SHIBATA, Japan - Lee Ji Hee birdied the final hole to pull ahead of high-profile names down the stretch Sunday, capturing her first major title on the Japan LPGA tour with a one-shot win at the Japan Women's Open.

Lee Ji Hee recovered remarkably from an errant tee shot to seal victory by making a 15-footer on the par-5 18th, which capped a final-round charge of 67 in a back-nine battle that also involved Ai Miyazato, Yuri Fudo and overnight joint leader Esther Lee. ----------

Tennis: Berdych wins men's singles title at Japan Open

TOKYO - Ninth-seeded Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic cruised to a 6-1, 6-4 victory over fifth-seeded Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina in the men's singles final at the Japan Open on Sunday.

Berdych took Del Potro to deuce four times in the final set and clinched the match when his opponent hit his return long at Ariake Tennis Forest Park. ----------

Baseball: Kuroda helps Dodgers to NL division series sweep

LOS ANGELES - Hiroki Kuroda threw 6-1/3 scoreless innings to earn his first postseason win Saturday as the Los Angeles Dodgers completed a three-game sweep of the Chicago Cubs in their National League division series with a 3-1 victory.

Kuroda, who had no postseason experience in his 11-year career with the Hiroshima Carp in Japan, got in and out of jams and left with a 3-0 lead after allowing consecutive singles with one out in the seventh inning. ----------

Soccer: Nakamura bags 2nd of season as Celtic thrash Hamilton

GLASGOW, Scotland - Japan midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura scored his second goal of the season to put Celtic on the way to a 4-0 thrashing of Hamilton in the Scottish Premier League on Saturday.

Nakamura fired the Hoops in front on 26 minutes and created the second when his pass picked out Georgios Samaras to double the home side's advantage eight minutes before the interval.