Kodai Senga picked up his career-best 13th win by holding Chiba Lotte to one earned run on six hits and two walks in seven innings as the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks beat the Marines 2-1 on Saturday for their eighth consecutive victory.
Senga, who struck out four, threw four 1-2-3 innings at Zozo Marine Stadium, where SoftBank trimmed its magic number to six.
Hawks closer Dennis Sarfate extended his NPB single-season record of 49 saves by pitching a perfect ninth.