Yutaka Tamaki pitched three flawless innings to build a strong case in a bid to join the starting rotation as the Hanshin Tigers beat the Orix Buffaloes 4-1 in a preseason game on Sunday.
Tamaki struck out two with no walks and Keiji Uezono allowed one unearned run in three innings of relief. Keiichi Hirano went 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored and Takashi Toritani also had three hits and drove in a run. Orix starter Atsuhiro Mitsuhara got roughed up for four runs and eight hits in three shaky innings at Kochi municipal stadium. Orix batters were held to just four hits on the day.
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Dragons, 9, Fighters 5
Brothers Takehiro and Naomichi Donoue both went deep as Chunichi's lineup used four long balls to outslug Nippon Ham in a game at Nago municipal stadium.
Dominican newcomer Maximo Nelson gave up three runs and six hits in four innings for a shaky Japan debut. Brian Sweeney yielded four runs in four innings for Nippon Ham.
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Swallows 4, BayStars 3
Ryo Kawashima retired nine in a row in three innings of perfect relief of South Korean lefty starter Lee Hei Chun as Yakult scraped by Yokohama.
Kazuki Fukuchi, Yasushi Iihara and Yoshiyuki Noguchi combined for seven hits at Urasoe stadium. Yokohama starter Futoshi Kobayashi struggled with his control, allowing two runs and five hits in five innings.
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