Bryan Corey combined with three relievers on a three-hit shutout as the Chiba Lotte Marines edged the Orix Buffaloes 1-0 on Tuesday night.
Corey (1-2) allowed just two hits and struck out four at Chiba Marine Stadium en route to his first win in Japan since 2004, when he was with the Yomiuri Giants.
Kazuya Fukuura hit an RBI double in the second off Hiroshi Kisanuki (8-6). The Marines shut out their opponents for a second straight game and moved within two games of the Pacific League-leading Seibu Lions.
Hiroyuki Kobayashi struck out two in a perfect ninth for his 14th save.
Fighters 9, Lions 1
At Seibu Dome, Yang Dai-kang, Eiichi Koyano and Yoshio Itoi drove in two runs apiece, leading Hokkaido Nippon Ham over Seibu for its fifth win in six games.
Yang hit a two-run single to put the Fighters ahead 2-1 in the fourth. Koyano had a two-run double and Itoi an RBI single in the fifth. Itoi added a sacrifice fly in the seventh.
Ryo Sakakibara (5-0) threw two perfect innings in relief.
Hsu Ming-chieh (5-5) took the loss for the Lions.
Eagles 4, Hawks 1
At Sendai's Kleenex Stadium, Darrell Rasner outpitched Toshiya Sugiuchi as Tohoku Rakuten beat Softbank.
Rasner (3-7) gave up one run on four hits and walked one over seven innings.
Motohiro Shima and Yosuke Takasu each hit RBI singles in the second and fourth innings, respectively.
Sugiuchi (11-4) allowed four runs in six innings.
CENTRAL LEAGUE
BayStars 4, Carp 3
At Yokohama Stadium, Brett Harper drove in two runs, Shigeru Kaga carried a shutout into the seventh inning and Yokohama beat Hiroshima.
Harper hit a leadoff homer in the second and an RBI single in the third, helping the BayStars to a 4-0 lead off Kenta Maeda (11-4).
Giants 7, Tigers 6 (12)
Swallows at Dragons — ppd.
