“At this time of the season, how you play means nothing as long as you win”

Seibu Lions manager Hatsuhiko Tsuji after an ugly victory over the Rakuten Eagles

Pacific League

Marines 3, Hawks 0

At Zozo Marine Stadium, Mike Bolsinger (4-4) allowed a run over seven innings, and Seiya Inoue hit a game-breaking eighth-inning homer in Lotte’s win over SoftBank.

Bolsinger, who is our guest on next week’s Japanese Baseball Weekly Podcast, takes part in the hero interview.

Hawks starter Kodai Senga (11- ) gave up three hits to open the second, but escaped with just one run scored on a Brandon Laird sacrifice fly.

The game stayed 1-0 because Leonys Martin threw out a runner at the plate to end the Hawks’ third. It was his third outfield assist in 26 games. Senga pitched out of jams in the fourth and sixth to keep the Marines from making any headway until Inoue clinched the game in the eighth.

Game highlights are HERE.

Lions 8, Eagles 6

At MetLife Dome, Seibu starter Tatsuya Imai allowed six runs over four-plus innings, but reliever Shogo Noda (1-0) bailed the Lions out of a fifth-inning jam, while Hotaka Yamakawa, Fumikazu Kimura, and Shogo Akiyama homered in a win over Rakuten.

Game highlights are HERE.

Buffaloes 6, Fighters 4

At Kyocera Dome, Taisuke Yamaoka (10-3) gave up two runs over six innings, and Masataka Yoshida and Stefen Romero homered in Orix’s win over Nippon Ham.

Game highlights are HERE.

Central League

BayStars 5, Giants 1

At Tokyo Dome, DeNA’s Katsuki Azuma (4-2) allowed a run over eight innings, while striking out two, while Neftali Soto hit a three-run first-inning homer and veteran Takayuki Kajitani hit a two-run shot in the second in a win over Yomiuri.

Kajitani had shoulder issues this spring and was used primarily as a pinch hitter until May 4, when he was relegated to the minors. On the farm, he’d been hitting like his old self, a .298 average with decent power. He was activated on Friday.

Game highlights are HERE.

Tigers 8, Swallows 3

At Jingu Stadium, Haruto Takahashi (3-5) allowed two runs, one earned over six innings, while striking out nine and walking two as Hanshin beat Yakult. He twice pitched out of one-out, bases-loaded situations, allowing just a run, while rookie Koji Chikamoto gunned down speedster Tetsuto Yamada when he was trying to score from third on a ball to shallow center.

Dragons 4, Carp 1

At Nagoya Dome, Nobumasa Fukuda’s two-out, sixth-inning home run tied it against Daichi Osera (10-7), and four-straight doubles completed a four-run inning in Chunichi’s win over Hiroshima.

Enny Romero (7-9) went six innings to get the win, while Dayan Viciedo went 3-for-4 with two doubles.