Rookie right-hander Hirotoshi Takanashi earned a win in his first start of the season as Hokkaido Nippon Ham squeezed in two runs in a 4-2 come-from-behind interleague victory over the Hiroshima Carp on Wednesday.
Given the chance to start after 23 games in relief, Takanashi (3-2) allowed two runs, one earned, in five-plus innings. The right-hander surrendered four hits, while issuing two walks and striking out four before 21,928 at Sapporo Dome.
"I wanted to treat it the same as I did in relief, just focus on one batter a time and try to make my pitches," said Takanashi, the Fighters' fourth-round pick in 2013.