Needing a win to stay in first place in the Pacific League, the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters got a big day from their reserves on Monday afternoon to edge the Orix Buffaloes 5-4 at Sapporo Dome.
Pinch hitter Kenshi Sugiya broke a 4-4, eighth-inning tie with an RBI single after the Buffaloes had scored twice in the top of the inning. Closer Hisashi Takeda retired the visitors in order in the ninth to record his 27th save.
With one out and a runner on third, Sugiya's grounder barely got under the glove of diving second baseman Mitsutaka Goto, but it was enough to bring home veteran Makoto Kaneko from third.