Daisuke Matsuzaka pitched a three-hitter for his league-leading sixth win Monday and pinch-hitter Toshiaki Inubushi lifted the Seibu Lions to a 2-1 victory over the Nippon Ham Fighters.
Matsuzaka (6-0) surrendered a solo homer to Yukio Tanaka in the second inning but did not allow a hit from the third inning until the ninth, when he was relieved.
Hawks 4, Buffaloes 3
At the Fukuoka Dome, Hiroki Kokubo slammed a solo blast and Kenji Jojima hit his 100th career homer as Daiei snapped a four-game losing skid with a win over defending PL champion Kintetsu.
BlueWave 7, Marines 6
In Kobe, Tatsuya Shindo singled home the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning and Fernando Seguignol became the first player in Japanese baseball to homer from both sides of the plate in consecutive games as Orix edged Lotte.
CENTRAL LEAGUE
Dragons 2, Giants 1
Takashi Ogasawara struck out 10 over 7 1/3 shutout innings and allowed four hits as Chunichi snapped Yomiuri's eight-game winning streak at the Nagoya Dome.
Swallows 3, Tigers 1
At Koshien Stadium, southpaw Masanori Ishikawa (2-2) scattered five hits in 7 2/3 innings as Yakult won its third straight over front-running Hanshin.
Carp vs. BayStars -- ppd.
Monthly MVP awards
Hanshin Tigers southpaw Kei Igawa -- the engine behind the Central League club's newfound drive -- received his first monthly most valuable player award Tuesday along with teammate and infielder Makoto Imaoka.
In the Pacific League, Seibu Lions right-hander Daisuke Matsuzaka took monthly honors for the first time in three years, while Nippon Ham Fighters infielder Michihiro Ogasawara, was named the player of the month for the third time in as many years.