Right-hander Toshihiro Sugiura threw five hitless innings and earned his first win in his Nippon Ham debut as the Fighters beat the SoftBank Hawks 3-2 on Saturday.
In front of 36,751 at Sapporo Dome, Sugiura struck out five of the 16 batters he faced and did not issue a single walk. The 26-year-old, who was acquired from the Yakult Swallows last July, had been sidelined due to a right-shoulder injury.
"Many people have supported me throughout the way so I just wanted to express my gratitude," said Sugiura, who earned his first win in two years.