Orix Buffaloes ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto worked seven innings and two relievers completed the seven-hit shutout in a 3-0 Pacific League win Wednesday over the Seibu Lions.
At Saitama Prefecture's Belluna Dome outside Tokyo, Yamamoto (12-5) allowed five hits and a walk while striking out five for the two-time defending PL champs and runaway league leaders.
"After the first inning, I had to pitch some with runners on base, but their pitcher was getting out of jams and I didn't want to let him get the upper hand," Yamamoto said.
"Pounding the strike zone led to my just scraping by without allowing a run."
Lions starting pitcher Tatsuya Imai (7-4) got big outs to keep Seibu in the game. The right-hander walked five and gave up seven hits but allowed just one run over six innings.
Former Lion Tomoya Mori, who joined Orix as a free agent over the winter, gave his new teammates some breathing room when he doubled and scored a seventh-inning insurance run, and drove in a ninth-inning run with a sacrifice fly.
Closer Yoshihisa Hirano allowed two hits in the ninth but escaped unscathed to record his 21st save.
Elsewhere, the Nippon Ham Fighters knocked out the Rakuten Eagles 10-4, while the SoftBank Hawks overcame three solo home runs from Gregory Polanco in a 9-5 victory over the Lotte Marines.
In the Central League, the league-leading Hanshin Tigers came from behind to beat the Chunichi Dragons 7-2, the Hiroshima Carp downed the DeNA BayStars 5-2, and the Yomiuri Giants walked off 4-3 winners over the Yakult Swallows in 11 innings.
