Yusuke Torigoe looped a single into center field in the bottom of the ninth inning Sunday to give the Daiei Hawks a 3-2 "sayonara" win over the Kintetsu Buffaloes and their fifth straight win in the Pacific League.
Daiei's victory left the Hawks three wins shy of their second straight PL pennant.
In a 2-2 contest at the Fukuoka Dome, Torigoe gunned down Kintetsu's potential go-ahead run at the plate in the top of the ninth and then came to bat in the bottom of the frame with one out and runners on first and second for his game-winning hit.