Shohei Otani threw seven scoreless innings to lead the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters to a 6-0 win over the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in Game 1 of the Pacific League Climax Series Final Stage on Wednesday.
Before 36,633 at Sapporo Dome, Otani allowed one hit, walked two and struck out six, while touching 162 kph. He also delivered a hit from the No. 8 spot in the batting order as the Fighters took a huge first step toward a Japan Series berth.
Since league champs start the six-game final series with a one-win advantage, and can clinch if the series ends in a tie, the Fighters now lead 2-0 and need only another win and a tie to reach the Japan Series for the first time since 2012.