Kotaro Otake pitched eight scoreless innings and Yurisbel Gracial's seventh-inning home run lifted the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks to a 3-0 win over the Hanshin Tigers in interleague play on Thursday.
Otake (4-2) limited the Tigers to two hits and a walk, while striking out four of the 27 batters he faced at Yafuoku Dome. The 23-year-old lefty won his third straight start.
Otake was locked in a pitchers' duel against fellow second-year pro Haruto Takahashi (1-1), who only gave up a hit and a walk over the first six innings.