Yomiuri Giants win Japan Series in 6 games

TOKYO (AP) Catcher Shinnosuke Abe drove in the game-winning run to help the Yomiuri Giants defeat the Nippon Ham Fighters 2-0 and win the Japan Series in six games.

Abe doubled over the head of center fielder Yoshio Itoi on Saturday to give Yomiuri a 1-0 lead in the second inning at Sapporo Dome. Tetsuya Matsumoto hit a two-out single and scored on an Atsunori Inaba error in the sixth inning to make it 2-0.

It was the first Japan Series title in seven years for the Giants.

Yomiuri starter Shun Tono was hit in the right hand in the bottom of the first inning by Shinji Takahashi's line drive and had to leave the game. Lefty Tetsuya Utsumi took over and threw 4-2/3 scoreless innings to pick up the win.

Updated November 7, 2009