Baseball: Rookie Murakami sparkles on mound, Tigers pull out late win

Rookie starting pitcher Shoki Murakami retired all 21 batters he faced Wednesday and Koji Chikamoto hit a tie-breaking 10th-inning RBI single in the Hanshin Tigers’ 2-1 Central League victory over the Yomiuri Giants.

Before 35,574 at Tokyo Dome, the right-hander struck out five without allowing a runner to reach in his first start of the season before being pulled for a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning.

Sheldon Neuse led off the Tigers’ fourth with his first home run in Japan, off fellow first-year import Yohander Mendez. Minutes after Murakami left the game, however, Yomiuri tied it on Kazum...