Tatsuya Imai worked six innings, as he and four relievers walked a tightrope in the Seibu Lions' 2-1 win over the Chiba Lotte Marines on Thursday, pulling them into a virtual tie with the Pacific League-leading Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.
The win at Belluna Dome outside Tokyo left the Lions trailing the Hawks on winning percentage.
Imai (1-1) allowed a run on six hits and a walk while striking out six over six innings, with his final strikeout stranding two runners in the sixth, after Aito Takeda's RBI single gave him a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the fifth.