Randy Messenger struck out nine over the distance and Masahiro Nakatani hit a two-run home run as the Hanshin Tigers blanked the Tokyo Yakult Swallows 3-0 on Friday.
Messenger (11-5) tossed a four-hitter, yielding two walks in his 127-pitch outing at Kyocera Dome Osaka to improve his ERA to 2.44. The 35-year-old American now shares the lead in wins in the Central League with Yomiuri Giants ace Tomoyuki Sugano.
"It's thanks to my teammates. They put me in good situations — we got to score runs for me to get wins and, like I said, these guys have been doing a great job behind me all year," Messenger said.