TOKOROZAWA, SAITAMA PREF. – Ryosuke Kikuchi drove in three late runs to ignite the Central League-leading Hiroshima Carp to a 5-0 victory over the Seibu Lions on Tuesday, the first night of interleague play.
With the Carp leading 1-0 at MetLife Dome, Kikuchi singled in an eighth-inning insurance run, and he capped the scoring in the ninth with a two-run double.
Right-hander Kazuki Yabuta (4-1) scattered five hits, a walk and a hit batsman over six innings to earn the win. He struck out four. Yabuta left the game with a one-run lead after the Carp scraped out a run in the fourth inning.
Kosuke Tanaka led off the frame with a single against Ryoma Nogami for Hiroshima’s first hit of the night. He was bunted to second by Kikuchi and scored on a single by Yoshihiro Maru.
Yabuta left the mound after throwing 93 pitches, and a trio of relievers, Shota Nakazaki, Jay Jackson and Takeru Imamura allowed just one walk between them to close it out.
Nogami (4-5) yielded two runs on five hits and two walks over 7-2/3 innings.
The win was the Carp’s sixth straight.
Buffaloes 9, Swallows 1
At Osaka’s Kyocera Dome, ace Chihiro Kaneko (6-2) allowed a run in seven innings to beat Tokyo Yakult, helping the Buffaloes win consecutive games for the first time in a month.
BayStars 3, Fighters 0
At Sapporo Dome, rookie lefty Haruhiro Hamaguchi (3-3) scattered five hits and a walk over seven innings, and three Yokohama relievers completed the six-hit shutout of Hokkaido Nippon Ham.
Hawks 10, Dragons 2
At Fukuoka’s Yafuoku Dome, Nao Higashima (6-1) threw a six-hitter for his first complete-game victory in four years.
Chunichi ace Kazuki Yoshimi (1-5) gave up six first-inning runs.
Eagles 13, Giants 5
At Sendai’s Kobo Park, disciplined batting by PL-leading Tohoku Rakuten forced Tomoyuki Sugano (6-2) off his game, the Yomiuri star allowing eight runs in five innings.
Zelous Wheeler homered twice and drove in six runs to help power the Eagles.
Tigers 15, Marines 7
At Chiba’s Zozo Marine Stadium, Kosuke Fukudome singled in the first run of a six-run fifth inning to break a 4-4 tie as Hanshin walloped Chiba Lotte.
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