Chihiro Kaneko returned to his pro baseball roots on Thursday, throwing five scoreless innings to earn the win as the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters defeated the Orix Buffaloes 7-3.
Kaneko (1-1) had for years been Orix's ace pitcher but left last winter in a contract dispute. Pitching at Hotto Motto Field, where he had earned his first pro victory, he allowed one hit and issued two walks, while striking out five.
"I think that there is fate at play here, but the most important thing for us is that this win prevents us from taking three straight losses," Kaneko said.