The Hiroshima Carp were in desperate need of a win and Kan Otake gave them one.

Otake outlasted Tokyo Yakult Swallows rookie Yoshinori Sato in a pitcher's duel and Akihiro Higashide scored the winning run on an error in the ninth as the Carp kept their playoff hopes alive with a 1-0 victory on a chilly Thursday night at Jingu Stadium.

"I just tried to focus on how I was pitching and I was able to do that," Otake said.