Chunichi starting  pitcher Kenichi Nakata gave up one run over eight innings as the Dragons whipped the Nippon Ham Fighters 8-1 to knot up the best-of-seven Japan Series at one game apiece.  

Norihiro Nakamura (pictured above)  doubled in two runs in the top of the fourth inning  en route to a  4-0 lead. Later,  Korean Lee Byung-kyu added  a two-run homer in the sixth and Masahiko Morino cranked a  another   Dragon two-run HR  to extend the tally.

It was a rough night for Nippon Ham starter Ryan Glynn who reportedly had a bit of a meltdown, and  mouthed an expletive as he walked off the mound. Glynn  took the loss after giving up four runs on three hits  in 3 1/3 innings.

Last night’s hero for the Fighters Fernando Seguignol, who hit a three-run homer in Saturday’s 3-1 win, hit a  solo shot in the bottom of the fourth, but it would be the only run  Trey Hillman’s team would tally.

Nakata gave up three hits and walked  just one while striking out five during the  106-pitch effort. The series will now move to the Nagoya Dome for three games beginning on Tuesday.