Fukuoka SoftBank southpaw Tsuyoshi Wada struck out nine in six scoreless innings to lead the Hawks to a 3-0 victory over the Chiba Lotte Marines, winning his first game back from elbow surgery on Sunday.
Wada (3-0), who started for the first time since April 7, allowed only two hits while walking two, as the Pacific League-leading Hawks snapped a two-game losing streak.
Veteran Wada, who had surgery in May to treat elbow inflammation, also recorded his 1,500th career strikeout by punching out retiring former Hawks teammate Tadahito Iguchi in the fourth inning.