Daiki Tajima took a four-hit shutout into the ninth inning and the Pacific League-leading Orix Buffaloes held on for a 8-2 win Wednesday over the Rakuten Eagles.
A day after fellow lefty Hiroya Miyagi blanked the Eagles on four hits, Tajima cruised at Rakuten Mobile Park Miyagi until surrendering a one-out single and a two-run homer to Rakuten slugger Hideto Asamura.
Tajima (4-2) allowed six hits but no walks while striking out seven over 8-1/3 innings against the PL cellar dwellers.
Kenya Wakatsuki's one-out RBI double got the ball rolling in a three-run second against veteran Rakuten right-hander Takayuki Kishi (1-2), who allowed five runs, three earned, over 2-1/3 innings.
Yuma Tongu reached base four times and scored twice, while new import Marwin Gonzalez went 2-for-4 with two runs and his second homer in two days.
