New York Mets rookie Kodai Senga gave up just one hit and struck out nine in seven innings in Tuesday's 2-0 win over the Philadelphia Phillies.
Senga (5-3) got his first win in four starts. He allowed only one runner to reach base, on a third-inning single by Kody Clemens at Citi Field.
The 30-year-old former ace of the SoftBank Hawks in Japan's Pacific League had the longest outing of his first MLB season and lowered his ERA to 3.44.
"It was good to get ahead in counts," said the right-hander, who threw 100 pitches, 66 for strikes. "I had good command, so my forkball worked well. I always want to pitch like this."
Francisco Lindor gave the Mets a 1-0 fourth-inning lead with his 10th home run, off Ranger Suarez (0-2). Eduardo Escobar added an infield RBI single in the seventh.
Among other Japanese players, Toronto Blue Jays left-hander Yusei Kikuchi (6-2) picked up his sixth win after allowing two runs on three hits and five walks in five innings in a 7-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers.
His 27th career MLB win took him to 100 for his professional career. Kikuchi won 73 games in Japan's majors for the Seibu Lions between 2011 and 2018.
Two-way star Shohei Ohtani went 1-for-4 with his 13th home run, a fourth-inning tie-breaking solo shot to center, in the Los Angeles Angels' 7-3 loss to the Chicago White Sox.
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