Takashi Ishii and Kiyoshi Toyoda combined on a two-hitter and Scott McClain homered Monday as the Seibu Lions blanked the Orix BlueWave 1-0 to end their three-game losing streak.
| Pacific League | |||||
| Won | Lost | Tied | Pct. | GB | |
| Kintetsu | 53 | 42 | 2 | .558 | - |
| Daiei | 52 | 45 | 1 | .536 | 2.0 |
| Orix | 48 | 43 | 4 | .527 | 3.0 |
| Seibu | 51 | 46 | 0 | .526 | 3.0 |
| Lotte | 46 | 48 | 2 | .489 | 6.5 |
| Nippon Ham | 34 | 60 | 3 | .362 | 18.5 |
Right-hander Ishii (5-7) struck out seven and walked two without allowing a runner past second base to earn his fifth win of the season, while Toyoda got his 21st save with a perfect ninth.
McClain gave Ishii run support with his 27th homer in the sixth off South Korean southpaw Koo Dae Sung, hitting "the only bad throw he had all night" over the Seibu Dome's center-field fence.
Koo (3-6), making his first career start in Japan after being moved from the closer role, took the loss despite allowing just four hits over the distance. He struck out six, including cleanup hitter Alex Cabrera four times, and allowed six walks.
Hawks 3, Marines 2
At the Fukuoka Dome, Pedro Valdes slammed a go-ahead, two-run homer in a three-run third and Keizaburo Tanoue pitched a five-hitter over eight innings as Daiei downed Lotte to snap a two-game losing skid.
With Lotte ahead 2-0 and runners on second and third, Hiroshi Shibahara hit a one-out sacrifice fly to trim the lead and Valdes followed with his 17th homer of the season, off Brian Sikorski (0-2), into the right-center stands.
Tanoue (9-5) gave up two runs while striking out two and walking three. Rodney Pedraza earned his 25th save.