Kenshin Kawakami pitched eight strong innings while Kosuke Fukudome and Alex Ochoa combined for eight runs to power the front-running Chunichi Dragons over the Yomiuri Giants 14-3 in the Central League on Wednesday.
Chunichi pitcher Kenshin Kawakami doubles to center in the second inning against the Yomiuri
Giants on Wednesday at Sapporo Dome. The Dragons won 14-3.
Kawakami (7-5) went 2-for-4 and contributed to a 22-hit offense that featured four hits each by Masahiro Araki and Kazuyoshi Tatsunami, as Chunichi came within three hits of a single-game franchise record and extended its lead over second-place Yomiuri to 1 1/2 games.
Kawakami, who had been winless since May 21, struck out nine and walked none in his 106-pitch outing and limited the damage to a Takayuki Shimizu solo homer in the first inning and a Toshihisa Nishi RBI triple in the eighth.