Katsuki Yamazaki and Naoyuki Omura hit back-to-back RBI singles in the sixth inning Monday as the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks pulled ahead to extend their winning streak to eight games with a 3-1 win over the Orix Buffaloes in the Pacific League.
Yamazaki drove in the go-ahead run with his hit to left field and Omura followed with his own RBI single right after Orix third baseman Makoto Shiozaki committed a costly two-out error on a Takeshi Tsuji grounder at Skymark Stadium.
Keizaburo Tanoue (1-0) scattered five hits and held the Buffaloes to a run in his first start of the season, picking up the win hours after being activated to the top-team roster. Takahiro Mahara worked the ninth for his ninth save.
Lions 7, Marines 6
At Goodwill Dome, Jeff Liefer delivered a go-ahead homer in the bottom of the eighth inning, helping Seibu hold off Lotte in a seesaw contest.
Fighters 11, Eagles 8
At Fullcast Stadium, Makoto Kaneko snapped a 2-2 tie with a fourth-inning RBI double as Hokkaido Nippon Ham won its fourth straight.
CENTRAL LEAGUE
Carp 7, Tigers 4
At Hiroshima Stadium, Takahiro Arai and Tomonori Maeda both hit three-run homers, powering the Carp to their fourth straight win.
BayStars 2, Dragons 1
At Yokohama Stadium, lefty Yoshihiro Doi limited the damage to a fourth-inning solo blast to Tyrone Woods in 5 1/3 innings and the BayStars held off Chunichi for a three-game sweep.
Giants, 9 Swallows 3
At Jingu Stadium, Yoshinobu Takahashi homered twice with three RBIs and two runs scored to back up a solid outing from Hisanori Takahashi in the Yomiuri's rout of last place Yakult.