Shugo Fujii threw six-plus innings of one-run ball and the Nippon Ham Fighters held on to edge the Lotte Marines 4-3 on Monday.
The Pacific League-leading Fighters won their third straight game to move a season-high 14 games above .500.
Fujii (5-4) allowed three hits, all singles, struck out three and walked one at Sapporo Dome. Yuta Omine (2-5) took the loss.
Shota Ono had an RBI double and Kensuke Tanaka a run-scoring single in the fourth before Yoshio Itoi and Terrmel Sledge hit solo homers for a 4-0 lead in the fifth. Saburo Omura hit a three-run homer to move Lotte within one run in the seventh.