Two solo homers from veteran slugger Takeya Nakamura made the difference for the Seibu Lions in their second straight win over the Pacific League-leading Orix Buffaloes, 4-3 on Wednesday.
Leading 1-0 at Hotto Motto Field Kobe, Nakamura, a six-time PL home run leader, led off the Lion's fourth with his 14th of the season. His 15th, with one out in the eighth, made it 4-0.
The Lions appeared to be cruising behind Tatsuya Imai (8-4), but a one-out bases-loaded walk on a borderline pitch got the two-time defending PL champs on the board.
Imai left the mound with one out and the bases loaded, and two of the runners scored on a two-out error.
"He (Imai) pitched as well as he always does, and so it was good to get him some runs," the laconic Nakamura told the crowd after the game. "I'm happy I could put the bat on the ball. I got fat pitches and hit them."
Brooks Kriske recorded his third save for the Lions, whom he joined this summer.
Elsewhere, the third-place SoftBank Hawks shut out the second-place Lotte Marines 3-0.
In the Central League, the league-leading Hanshin Tigers blanked the last-place Chunichi Dragons 1-0.
