Munenori Kawasaki delivered a two-run homer and Pedro Valdes, Julio Zuleta and Mitsuru Homma each had an RBI as the front-running Daiei Hawks beat the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters 5-2 in the Pacific League on Friday.
Chiba -- Fans in the stands hold placards that read "against merger" prior to Friday's game between the Lotte Marines and
the Seibu Lions at Chiba Marine Stadium.
Homma led off with a triple in the third followed by Kawasaki's shot over the right-field wall, helping to make a winner of Kazumi Saito (7-4), who went seven innings on a two-hitter with three walks and four strikeouts at Fukuoka Dome.
Leading 3-0 in the seventh, Valdes hit an RBI double to highlight a two-run frame before the Fighters pulled within three in the top of the eighth. Koji Mise picked up his 18th save.