Big defense from rookie outfielder Tokumasa Chano saved two runs, and lefty Hiroya Miyagi took it from there in a four-hit shutout as the Orix Buffaloes beat the Rakuten Eagles 2-0 on Tuesday.
With two on and one out in the third inning, Chano raced toward the right-field corner at Sendai's Rakuten Mobile Park Miyagi, leaped, caught the ball against the wall and doubled off the runner from first to end the inning.
Miyagi (4-0), who struck out six and walked one, would allow just one more base runner before closing it out.
The Pacific League leaders opened the scoring in the eighth against Takahisa Hayakawa (1-3) on solo homers by Marwin Gonzalez, his fifth, and Kodai Sano, his first.
"Hayakawa pitched really well, so my thoughts were on not allowing the first run," Miyagi said. "My teammates really backed me up and allowed me to establish a good tempo. It's because of them that I could find my rhythm."
SoftBank Hawks' lefty Tomohisa Ozeki (2-3) struck out 13 in a one-hit complete game victory, a 1-0 walk-off win over the Nippon Ham Fighters. The Lotte Marines beat the Seibu Lions 6-2, led by four RBIs from Shogo Nakamura.
In the Central League, Yomiuri Giants rookie Makoto Kadowaki drove in four runs and hit his first career home run in a 9-2 win over the DeNA BayStars, while the Yakult Swallows beat the Hanshin Tigers 1-0, and the Hiroshima Carp edged the Chunichi Dragons by the same margin.
