Veteran southpaw Nobuyuki Hoshino tossed a four-hitter Sunday as the Hanshin Tigers blanked the Yakult Swallows 1-0 at Koshien Stadium for their eighth straight victory.
Hoshino, (2-1) acquired in the off-season as a free agent after 16 seasons with the Orix BlueWave, fanned Yakult slugger Roberto Petagine in the ninth to end the game and pick up his first complete-game shutout since coming to the Central League team.
Former New York Yankee farmhand Tony Tarasco drove in Tomochika Tsuboi from third with a single to right in the first inning for the only run of the game and Hoshino made it stand.