Kris Johnson worked into the ninth to pitch the Central League-leading Hiroshima Carp to a 4-2 win over the Tokyo Yakult Swallows on Wednesday.
Johnson, the 2016 Sawamura Award winner, improved to 5-2. After winning 29 games over his first two seasons in Japan, fitness issues dogged him last season, when he was limited to just 13 games.
On Wednesday, the lefty struck out nine while allowing five hits and issuing two walks over 8⅓ innings, and faced just 26 batters through the first eight innings — two over the minimum.