On Thursday, Gosuke Kato homered in a big league game for the first time, veteran Takumi Kuriyama hit his first homer of the season, Masahiro Tanaka won a game for the first time since April 14, while Kenta Bright, a day after getting his first start of the season, continued to shine for Chunichi.

Off the field entirely, the players union and NPB opened working group sessions to attempt to resolve their differences over management of players’ image rights.

DeNA’s Neftali Soto has been deactivated with inflammation in the second toe of his left foot, which I learned yesterday is also known in Japanese as a person’s “index toe.”

And lastly, the SoftBank Hawks have, according to multiple reports citing sources, agreed to terms with Cuba’s sports authority to bring back outfielder Alfredo Despaigne, who has 184 Japan home runs under his ample belt but was released after last season.

Wednesday’s games

Lions 4, Tigers 0: At Seibu Dome, the Central League-leading Hanshin Tigers’ nine-game winning streak came to an unlikely end as Keisuke Honda went four innings for and combined with five relievers to shut out the Tigers on five hits and five walks.

Seibu scored small-ball style in the first, a Sosuke Genda leadoff single, the obligatory sacrifice and a one-out Kento Watanabe single. Takumi Kuriyama, who left two on in the first, opened the fourth with his first homer of the year. Shuta Tonosaki singled in two in the seventh.