Juri Hara pitched eight solid innings, drove in one run and scored another to lead the Tokyo Yakult Swallows to a 4-0 win over the Hanshin Tigers on Friday.
With the win, the Swallows remained in second place in the Central League behind the Hiroshima Carp, who secured their berth in the Climax Series for the third straight year, following the third-place Yomiuri Giants' 4-2 loss to the Yokohama BayStars.
In front of 40,386 at a rainy Koshien Stadium, Hara (5-7) limited the Tigers to two hits, while striking out nine. The 25-year-old right-hander retired the batters in order until giving up his first hit to Efren Navarro with two outs in the fifth.