Orix ace Chihiro Kaneko overcame a two-run fourth inning in an otherwise masterful effort as the Buffaloes beat the Pacific League-leading Softbank Hawks 10-4 on Wednesday.

Kaneko (14-5), who allowed no base runners through the first three innings, allowed the Hawks to tie it in the fourth on a two-run homer by former teammate Lee Dae Ho. But after three at-bats in which batters made unusually solid contact off him, Kaneko returned to form, retired the next 13 men he faced and took a 10-2 lead into the ninth inning.

The right-hander allowed four runs on six hits and two walks in eight-plus innings. He struck out five. Tatsuya Sato faced the final three batters in the ninth to close it out.