Colin Rea threw his second shutout in Japan and his first of the season as the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks beat the Central League's Hanshin Tigers 4-0 in interleague play Thursday to maintain their half-game lead in the Pacific League.
Rea (4-3) allowed five hits and a walk while striking out six before wrapping up the shutout with his 124th pitch.
"I was pretty tired after the last pitch but found something within me in the ninth inning and dug deep. (Catcher Takuya) Kai and I were working well together all night, and it felt good," Rea said.