The Hanshin Tigers needed a win and Haruto Takahashi helped give them one and then some.
Takahashi threw the first shutout of his career — getting just enough run support to win a pitchers' duel against Yomiuri Giants ace Tomoyuki Sugano — to help the Tigers earn a 3-0 win over the Kyojin at Tokyo Dome on Saturday afternoon.
"I made it to the ninth inning and I really wanted to finish without giving up a run and I'm glad it worked out that way," Takahashi said.