Former SoftBank Hawks closer Yuito Mori won his first Nippon Professional Baseball start in roughly three months Sunday, pitching 5-2/3 innings of one-run ball in a 3-2 victory over the Seibu Lions.
The 31-year-old right-hander struck out three while allowing three hits and a walk at Belluna Dome, where the Pacific League's third-place Hawks got RBIs from Kensuke Kondo, Yuki Yanagita and Takuya Kai, who hit his 10th homer of the season.
Mori (2-1) gave up his only run on Shuta Tonosaki's solo blast in the bottom of the second inning. He made way for Katsuki Matayoshi with two out and two runners on in the sixth.
"I feel like I was able to pitch my way," said Mori, who made his most recent NPB start on June 8 and recorded his previous win on April 27. "I was pretty happy with how it all went."
Kai cleared the left field fence with a solo off Kaito Yoza (2-5) that made it 2-1 to the Hawks in the third. SoftBank closer Roberto Osuna earned his 20th save after a scoreless ninth.
At Es Con Field Hokkaido, the PL-leading Orix Buffaloes took care of the Nippon Ham Fighters 3-1.
In the Central League, the Chunichi Dragons were 3-0 winners over the Hiroshima Carp.
