Yusei Kikuchi allowed a run in eight innings, setting the stage for the Seibu Lions' 5-1 come-from-behind victory over the Pacific League-leading Rakuten Eagles on Friday evening.
Kikuchi, who is from neighboring Iwate Prefecture in northeastern Japan, gave up four hits and two walks, while striking out nine. The lefty improved to 5-2, while Seibu became the only PL team with a winning record (4-3) against Rakuten.
The Lions offense was stymied through six innings by lefty Yudai Mori, who surrendered some hard-hit balls directly at his fielders and only allowed three hits and a walk. Frank Herrmann worked a scoreless seventh to protect a slim 1-0 lead.
But rookie right-hander Kohei Morihara (1-3) gave the game away in a five-run eighth. After a leadoff walk, the Lions played small ball, bunting the runner into scoring position.
Three-time Golden Glove-winning second baseman Kazuya Fujita saved a run by keeping Shogo Akiyama's one-out single in the infield, but a bizarre play allowed the Lions to tie it and Morihara never recovered. Rookie Sosuke Genda tried a safety squeeze but popped the ball up. Morihara dove for the ball that dropped fair, but only served to block first baseman Ginji Akaminai from getting an out.
The runner scored from third, and Lions captain Hideto Asamura hit a booming double into the gap in left to drive in two.
"It looked like this was going to be our only chance to take the lead, so I was happy I could do something," said Asamura after the third-place Lions won their fifth straight. "The best thing is being able to contribute to a win."
"Each and every player is doing his job and that's the key."
Ernesto Mejia was then walked with first base open, but Takumi Kuriyama belted another two-run double over the head of right fielder Carlos Peguero.
The Eagles took the lead in the fourth, when Zelous Wheeler singled and scored on a two-out Kazuo Matsui single.
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Fighters 7, Hawks 5
At Sapporo Dome, Brandon Laird homered and doubled, scored twice and drove in four runs to power Nippon Ham past SoftBank, which took a 3-0 lead after Alfredo Despaigne's third home run in three games, a two-run shot in the first.
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Marines 5, Buffaloes 4
At Zozo Marine Stadium, Lotte starter Hideaki Wakui blew a four-run, eighth-inning lead, but the Marines walked off in the ninth on Ikuhiro Kiyota's two-out sayonara single off Orix closer Yoshihisa Hirano (1-3). The loss was the Buffaloes' eighth straight.
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Central League
BayStars 5, Tigers 2
At Koshien Stadium, Shoichi Ino (2-3) didn't allow a hit until an inning after he and his DeNA teammates scored five times in the sixth off Hanshin starter Shintaro Fujinami (3-3) and reliever Suguru Iwazaki. Ino, batting eighth, broke the ice with a one-out RBI single in the seventh.
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Carp 7, Giants 2
At Tokyo Dome, second-year right-hander Akitake Okada (5-1) allowed a run in seven innings, and Hiroshima put the game away with three runs in the sixth on four-straight, no-out hits off Yomiuri starter Miles Mikolas (4-3).
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Dragons 3, Swallows 2
At Nagoya Dome, Chunichi scored three runs after their first two batters were retired in the ninth by Yakult closer Ryo Akiyoshi (4-3). Alex Guerrero plated Yohei Oshima and Dayan Viciedo with an RBI single, and pinch runner Masahiro Araki scored the game winner on Atsushi Fujii's walk-off double.
