ORIX’S MAESTRI TAMES LIONS
The daily Yomiuri
Just three starts into his Nippon Pro Baseball career, Alessandro Maestri looked as if the adjustment period is over as he dominated the Saitama Seibu Lions in a 7-1 win for the Orix Buffaloes at Kyocera Dome Osaka on Sunday.
The righty (2-1), in just his third start since being picked up by the Buffaloes on July 9, yielded four hits, while fanning 11 and walking none.
The Buffaloes, in the Pacific League cellar, knocked the Lions out of first place, which they captured with Saturday’s win.
Lee Dae Ho retook the home run lead by blasting his 21st longball, a two-run shot in the seventh, and Takahiro Okada had three hits and two RBIs.
In Central League action at Nagoya Dome, Kyohei Muranaka tossed Tokyo Yakult’s second shutout in as many days, firing a two-hitter to beat the Chunichi Dragons 2-0.
Muranaka (7-5), who walked one and fanned six for his first shutout since April 29 last year, carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning.
Lastings Milledge singled in the fourth to drive in the first run, and Shingo Kawabata added an RBI single later in the inning.