Baseball: Yamamoto throws 8-inning gem as Buffaloes blank Tigers

Orix Buffaloes ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto struck out 11 over eight innings in a 2-0 win over the Hanshin Tigers in an interleague game Tuesday.

Yamamoto (6-2) allowed just two hits while walking one and hitting a batter in a 112-pitch outing at Koshien Stadium. Soichiro Yamazaki closed out the ninth for his second save.

The Central League-leading Tigers put a runner in scoring position only once against Yamamoto, loading the bases with two outs in the seventh.

But the two-time Pacific League MVP pitcher got Seiya Kinami to ground into a force out to end the threat.

“I knew I couldn’t give up a sin...