Roki Sasaki outpitched Hiroya Miyagi in a matchup between 2023 World Baseball Classic teammates as the Lotte Marines edged the Orix Buffaloes 1-0 Tuesday.
Sasaki (3-1), who is on the radar of a number of major league scouts, struck out a season-high 10 over seven innings at Hotto Motto Field Kobe. The 22-year-old right-hander allowed four hits and walked two.
"I finally had my first scoreless outing of the season," Sasaki said. "I located my splitter very well. I'll just try to improve further as the season progresses."
Miyagi (2-3) was equally impressive, striking out 13 in eight innings of one-run ball.
Takashi Ogino drove in the game's only run with a fifth-inning double. Naoya Masuda picked up his second save.
Among other games on Tuesday, Hotaka Yamakawa and Yuki Yanagita each hit solo home runs as the Pacific League-leading SoftBank Hawks extended their winning streak to seven games with an 8-0 rout of the Rakuten Eagles.
Shoki Murakami, the 2023 Central League MVP and Rookie of the Year, threw a complete game as the Hanshin Tigers beat the Hiroshima Carp 7-1.
