Shinji Takahashi and Eiichi Koyano drove in seven runs between them as the Nippon Ham Fighters beat the Yomiuri Giants 8-4 Wednesday to even the Japan Series at two games apiece.

Takahashi put Nippon Ham ahead 2-0 with a bases-loaded single in a four-run third inning and added a solo homer in the fifth off Hisanori Takahashi (0-1) at Tokyo Dome.

Kensuke Tanaka and Hichori Morimoto had back-to-back singles with one out in the third. After Tanaka stole third, Atsunori Inaba drew a walk to load the bases for Takahashi.

The cleanup hitter then lined the first pitch he saw from the Yomiuri left-hander into left field.

"In that situation, I got myself ready to hit anything in the strike zone," Takahashi said. "I couldn't sleep well last night after we lost. I'm glad that I got a hit in that bases-loaded situation."

Koyano added a two-run double in the four-run inning and singled in two more runs in the eighth that extended Nippon Ham's lead to 8-1.

Tomoya Yagi (1-0) threw five innings of one-run ball, scattering seven hits and two walks.

Morimoto pushed Nippon Ham's lead to 6-1 in the seventh when he laid down a squeeze bunt.

"We once had a seven-run lead but they came close late in the game. It was tough until the end," said Nippon Ham manager Masataka Nashida. "I'm glad that we got a win here at Tokyo Dome and this second win of the series guaranteed a trip back to Sapporo. We'll try to keep playing our game -- getting on base for the next hitter and playing solid defense."

Tetsuya Matsumoto went 3-for-5 with an RBI single in the third and Alex Ramirez hit a three-run homer off Takayuki Kanamori in the eighth for Yomiuri.