Lefty Tetsuya Utsumi became the first pitcher to throw a complete-game in the Central League this season, scattering eight hits over the distance in a 6-1 victory for the Yomiuri Giants over the Hanshin Tigers on Friday.
Utsumi (2-0) struck out five with three walks in a 133-pitch outing and got run support from Lee Seung Yeop, who went 2-for-4 with a double and hit a three-run homer in the fourth to give the Giants a 6-0 lead at Tokyo Dome.
Yoshinobu Takahashi, Yoshitomo Tani and Damon Hollins drove in three runs for the Giants on RBI hits in the second. Hanshin veteran left-hander Tsuyoshi Shimoyanagi (0-2) was chased in 3 2/3 innings after surrendering six runs.
Dragons 6, BayStars 3
At Nagoya Dome, Kosuke Fukudome had a sacrifice fly and South Korean Lee Byung Kyu hit a run-scoring single to help Chunichi to a three-run lead in opening frame, and Hirokazu Ibata delivered a three-run blast in the sixth to turn the tide and win a close game for the Dragons over Yokohama.
Swallows 2, Carp 0
At Jingu Stadium, newcomer Seth Greisinger held batters to three hits over seven shutout innings and Norichika Aoki hit a solo drive in a blanking of Hiroshima.
PACIFIC LEAGUE
Lions 5, Buffaloes 2
At Osaka's Kyocera Dome, rookie Takayuki Kishi pitched a five-hitter over 8 2/3 innings and Takahiko "G.G." Sato hit a two-run homer to ignite a five-run seventh inning as Seibu beat Orix.