Reliever Hiromu Ise inherited a no-out bases-loaded jam and pitched out of it to help secure the DeNA BayStars 3-0 Central League win over the Yomiuri Giants on Thursday.
The win at Yokohama Stadium moved second-place DeNA to within six games of the league-leading Yakult Swallows on the eve of a three-game series between the two title contenders.
The third-place Giants put the tying runs on with no outs in the eighth on a single, a walk and a throwing error by reliever Edwin Escobar. Ise preserved the shutout by retiring all three batters he faced, and closer Yasuaki Yamasaki worked the ninth for his 36th save.