Tatsuya Imai of the Seibu Lions pitches during a Pacific League game against the Nippon Ham Fighters at Es Con Field Hokkaido in Hokkaido on Aug. 7, 2025. (Kyodo)
KITAHIROSHIMA, Japan (Kyodo) — Tatsuya Imai hurled seven innings of one-hit ball and struck out 11 Thursday as the Seibu Lions beat the Nippon Ham Fighters 2-0 to snap a three-game skid in the Pacific League.
Imai (7-4), who walked three and hit one batter, gave up his only hit on a Franmil Reyes single in the fourth inning that loaded the bases with no outs. He escaped the jam with a double play and a strikeout at Es Con Field Hokkaido.
Fighters starter Kota Tatsu held the Lions to five hits over 6-1/3 innings, striking out eight and walking two in a 115-pitch duel. Imai finished with the same number of pitches.
Fighters second reliever Shoma Kanemura (4-5) gave up the game’s first run in the eighth, however, on Jonathan Davis’ bases-loaded single with two outs.
Yuto Koga had a solo home run in the ninth for the Lions, who ended the Fighters’ four-game winning streak.
AloJapan.com