The Yomiuri Giants blanked the first-place Hiroshima Carp for the second straight night, this time with ace Tomoyuki Sugano throwing six scoreless innings in a 5-0 win Wednesday.
Pitching on four days' rest for the first time since September 2015, Sugano (8-4) picked up his Central League-leading eighth victory by holding the Carp to just three hits and a walk while striking out four.
Sugano called it a night at Mazda Stadium after 82 pitches. Scott Mathieson, Kentaro Nishimura and Arquimedes Caminero allowed Hiroshima just one more hit the rest of the way as the Giants beat the Carp for the third time this season.