Takahiro Norimoto threw a five-hit shutout and Japhet Amador hit a first-inning grand slam as the Pacific League-leading Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles defeated the Chiba Lotte Marines 5-0 on Wednesday.
Norimoto (4-1) earned his third straight win after striking out 12, reaching double-digits for a club-record fourth consecutive game in his 100-pitch outing. He let a runner reach second base just once, when Takashi Ogino hit a leadoff double in the first inning.
Lotte starter Jason Standridge (1-3) surrendered a single to Carlos Peguero, a hit batsman and a walk to load the bases with two outs in the bottom half before Amador went deep to left at Kobo Park Miyagi.