Takahiko G.G. Sato and Hiroyuki Nakajima homered off Masahiro Tanaka and Kazuyuki Hoashi pitched his first shutout of the season as the Saitama Seibu Lions beat the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles 4-0 Thursday.
Sato gave the Lions a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning with a two-run shot, his first home run since Aug. 2. Nakajima went deep leading off the sixth and added an RBI triple an inning later at Kleenex Stadium.
Hoashi (6-5) struck out nine and scattered five hits and a walk in a 135-pitch outing. Tanaka (12-5) gave up four runs in seven innings.
The defending Japan Series champion Lions took the three-game series and sit two games behind the third-place Eagles in a bid to reach the three-team Pacific League playoffs.