Cristopher Mercedes allowed his first runs but remained unbeaten in four starts for the Yomiuri Giants on Thursday, when he threw a three-hitter in a 3-2 win over the Yokohama BayStars.
The 24-year-old lefty struck out four and walked one while pitching a complete game. Casey McGehee, Hisayoshi Chono and Yoshiyuki Kamei each drove in a run against BayStars starter Joe Wieland (4-7), giving Mercedes a 3-0 lead heading into the bottom of the sixth at Yokohama Stadium.
"In my heart, the plan was the same as always, to keep the ball down. I was able to do that and change speeds and this was the result," Mercedes said. "I've been working hard all the time, and I'm happy to get these results."