Leandro Cedeno homered for the second straight game to back a strong pitching performance by Shumpeita Yamashita as the Orix Buffaloes completed a three-game sweep of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks with a 3-0 win Monday.
On the last day of games before the NPB All-Star break, the Hawks extended a losing streak to nine games for the first time since September 1996, when the team was known as the Daiei Hawks.
A day after his 10th-inning solo home run lifted the Pacific League-leading Buffaloes to a 2-1 victory, Venezuelan designated hitter Cedeno hit a three-run homer in the sixth off Carter Stewart Jr. (0-2) at PayPay Dome.
Yamashita (8-2) and two relievers combined on a four-hit shutout, with the 21-year-old starter allowing just two singles and striking out eight over seven innings of work.
"Pitching against the team I cheered for when I was a child felt a bit strange, but I'm glad I got the win," said Yamashita, who is from the Hawks' home prefecture of Fukuoka.
"My forkball worked well when I needed it. I was able to show my team's win to my family members. That's the best thing."
Stewart, who was the Atlanta Braves' first-round pick in the 2018 MLB draft, dropped his career win-loss record in Japan to 0-4. Yuki Udagawa picked up his second save.
In other PL action, the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles defeated the Chiba Lotte Marines 4-2, while the Seibu Lions extended their winning streak to six with a 7-2 rout of the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters.
The Central League-leading Hanshin Tigers beat the Chunichi Dragons 4-1. The Hiroshima Carp edged the Yokohama DeNA BayStars 2-1.