Masahiro Tanaka allowed three runs in seven innings on Friday to win his 23rd consecutive decision as the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles defeated the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks 11-6.
Tanaka (19-0) surrendered seven hits and issued two walks, while striking out six. He went into the bottom of the sixth with a 9-0 lead, when the Hawks broke up the shutout.
"My form wasn't good at all tonight, so I have my teammates to thank," Tanaka said. "I had a tough time out there, so it's a good thing we won."