FUKUOKA – For the second straight night, the lowly Orix Buffaloes made the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks look human, beating the two-time defending Japan Series champions 4-0 on Tuesday.
Yuki Nishi (6-8) allowed four hits over the distance, and Bryan Bogusevic broke up a scoreless tie in the sixth inning with a two-run homer off Hawks starter Shota Takeda (9-4) before 38,500 at Yafuoku Dome.
It was the first time Orix had won a series against SoftBank in nearly two years, and for Nishi the biggest trouble seemed to be getting off the mound at the end of the fifth inning. After getting the third out, Nishi appeared to catch his spikes in the artificial turf and took a tumble.
“I did fall over in the fifth inning, but I was able to pitch somehow,” he said. “My leg is fine and I could throw a shutout. I worked carefully to every batter I faced.”
Takahiro Okada, who delivered the big blow in Monday’s 6-0 win with a grand slam, singled twice ahead of Bogusevic, who doubled him to third in the eighth inning to set up Orix’s third run.
Takeda allowed three runs on seven hits and three walks over 7-1/3 innings.
Marines 9, Lions 2
At Tokorozawa’s Seibu Prince Dome, Tadahito Iguchi belted a grand slam and Daichi Suzuki added a two-run shot in a six-run sixth inning as Chiba Lotte came from two runs down to trounce Seibu.
CENTRAL LEAGUE
Carp 11, Dragons 3
At Hiroshima’s Mazda Stadium, a night after hitting a sayonara home run, Takahiro Arai hit the first of Hiroshima’s three three-run home runs.
Carp Akitake Okada (3-3) allowed three runs over eight innings to earn the victory against Chunichi.
Giants 6, Tigers 1
At Koshien Stadium, Itaru Hashimoto hit a pair of two-run doubles, and Tetsuya Utsumi (5-3) allowed a run in seven innings, while striking out 11 as Yomiuri downed Hanshin.
BayStars 9, Swallows 8
At Tokyo’s Jingu Stadium, Tokyo Yakult overcame a 6-0, fifth-inning deficit and tied it in the eighth inning against Yokohama.
Yoshitomo Tsutsugo’s second homer of the game broke the tie in the ninth, and BayStars closer Yasuaki Yamasaki closed it out to earn his 21st save.
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