Chihiro Kaneko was one out away from a complete game and won for the first time in a month as the Orix Buffaloes beat the Chiba Lotte Marines 5-3 on Monday.
Last season's Pacific League MVP allowed two earned runs on six hits without a walk at Kyocera Dome, where he struck out five to snap a personal three-game losing streak with his first win since June 13.
"I hadn't been able to contribute to the team recently and it was frustrating, but I tried to keep my chin up," Kaneko said. "The team scored at the right times to back me up."