Kenta Maeda pitched his fifth complete game of the season as the Hiroshima Carp ended the Chunichi Dragons' seven-game unbeaten streak with a 5-3 win on Thursday night.
Maeda (14-6) became the first 14-game winner in the Central League after giving up 10 hits and striking out seven in a 153-pitch outing at Mazda Stadium.
"Every time I pitch against Chunichi, (Kazuki) Yoshimi-san is on the mound for the Dragons. I'm glad I got a win today," Maeda said. "Our team is down in the league standings and having a disappointing season, but I'll continue to pitch hard until the end of the season."
Eishin Soyogi broke a 3-3 tie with a solo home run in the seventh inning. Shigenobu Shima added a sacrifice fly in the eighth.