Naoyuki Tateishi threw a two-hitter over eight innings Tuesday and Makoto Kaneko hit a two-run homer as the Nippon Ham Fighters broke into the win column with a 3-2 triumph over the Lotte Marines at Chiba Marine Stadium.
Yutaka Nakamura came up with a two-out single in the top of the ninth inning to chase in the go-ahead run for the Fighters and Carlos Mirabal was perfect in the bottom of the frame for the save to give Nippon Ham its first win of the Pacific League season.
Frank Bolick smacked a solo home run for the Marines, but Lotte failed in its bid to win three in a row to start the season for the first time in 44 years.