Second-year southpaw Koji Mitsui allowed just one hit over the distance Sunday as the Seibu Lions blanked the Lotte Marines 8-0 for back-to-back season-opening victories in the Pacific League for the first time in eight years.
Mitsui yielded a lone single to Lotte veteran Kiyoshi Hatsushiba in the fifth inning and walked three, while striking out six, and did not allow a runner past second base to pick up his first shutout win since turning pro in 2000.
Catcher-turned-outfielder Kazuhiro Wada went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a solo homer in the eighth inning while Scott McClain chipped in a pair of RBIs in support of Mitsui's pitching.
Buffaloes 4, BlueWave 2
At Osaka Dome, Koichi Isobe singled with the bases-loaded in the first inning to drive in two of Kintetsu's three runs in the opening frame and the defending league champion Buffaloes eased their way to victory over Orix.
Hawks 7, Fighters 3
At Fukuoka Dome, former Olympic team member Nobuhiko Matsunaka hit a three-run homer and rookie right-hander Kazuhiko Iijima pitched two scoreless innings in relief of starter Brady Raggio (1-0) as Daiei defeated Nippon Ham.
Nippon Ham manager Yasunori Oshima was ejected from the game in the bottom of the first inning when he shoved an umpire in the chest over what he considered an incorrect call. The game was delayed for 12 minutes.
CENTRAL LEAGUE
Carp 7, BayStars 6
In Hiroshima, outfielder Koichi Ogata blasted a two-run homer for the go-ahead runs and Akihiro Higashide drove in a run with a sacrifice fly in the sixth as the Carp posted a narrow victory over Yokohama.