Yuki Nishi threw a two-hit shutout as the Central League-leading Hanshin Tigers edged the Yomiuri Giants 1-0 Tuesday to extend their winning streak to nine games.
The win, coupled with the second-place Hiroshima Carp's 2-1 loss to the Tokyo Yakult Swallows, dropped the Tigers' magic number to three for their first league title in 18 years.
Nishi (7-5) limited the Giants to a pair of singles while walking two and striking out six at Koshien Stadium.
The game ended when Tigers catcher Seishiro Sakamoto threw out pinch-runner Shinnosuke Shigenobu trying to steal second base.
Seiya Kinami drove in the game's only run with a sacrifice fly in the second off Iori Yamasaki (9-4), who pitched eight innings of one-run ball.
In the other CL game, the Chunichi Dragons beat the Yokohama DeNA BayStars 3-1.
The Pacific League-leading Orix Buffaloes trounced the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters 8-1, the Chiba Lotte Marines defeated the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles 5-3 and the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks downed the Saitama Seibu Lions 8-4 in 11 innings.