OSAKA — Ikki Shimamura drove in two runs to key a four-run seventh inning as the Orix Buffaloes battled from behind to beat the Hanshin Tigers 4-3 as interleague play got under way on Tuesday.
Hanshin took a 3-0 lead through the fifth, featuring an RBI single and run-scoring double by Tomoaki Kanemoto.
Hirotoshi Kitagawa and Tuffy Rhodes had back-to-back RBI singles to cut the deficit to one run in the seventh, setting up Shimamura's bases-loaded two-run single off Jeff Williams (0-2) at Kyocera Dome.