Daisuke Matsuzaka pitched a three-hitter while striking out six, leading the front-running Seibu Lions to their fifth straight win with a 1-0 victory over the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks on Friday.
Matsuzaka (2-2) pitched his second consecutive shutout and retired eight in a row after issuing a pair of walks in the first inning before allowing his first hit on an infield single to Nobuhiko Matsunaka in the fourth at Seibu Dome.
Seibu produced six hits against Tsuyoshi Wada (1-1) and Matsuzaka protected the lead after Tatsuya Ozeki's RBI single in the fifth. The Daiei bats were held to their fewest hits this season, snapping a three-game winning streak.
Fighters 2, Marines 1