Mitsuo Yoshikawa dodged bullets to work 5⅓ scoreless innings for the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters, who defeated the Orix Buffaloes 4-1 in the Pacific League to stretch the franchise's longest win streak to 15 games.
Before 20,892 at Kyocera Dome, Yoshikawa surrendered six hits and a walk, and hit a batter, while striking out three, and reliever Keisuke Tanimoto bailed him out of a one-out bases-loaded jam in the sixth.
On Sunday, the Fighters tied the franchise record of 14 straight wins, set when Yoshikawa beat the Yakult Swallows 2-0 in Matsuyama on June 8, 2007. In that game, Yoshikawa threw 5⅔ scoreless innings despite allowing seven hits and four walks.