Junichi Kawahara forged a complete game shutout on four hits Sunday, pitching out of jams in the eighth and ninth innings, to give the Yomiuri Giants a 1-0 triumph over the Chunichi Dragons at the Nagoya Dome.
Kawahara (3-0) went nine solid innings on 107 pitches to give the Giants a six-game lead in the Central League standings.
Chunichi southpaw Masahiro Yamamoto (6-5) allowed only four hits himself over eight innings, but one was a first-inning homer by Akira Eto that Kawahara made stand to the end.