Right-hander Seishu Hatake won a clash of rookie starters, throwing seven scoreless innings in the Yomiuri Giants’ 6-1 win over the Yokohama BayStars on Sunday.

Hatake (6-2) walked five but allowed just two hits, while striking out three, and went 1-for-3 with an RBI as the Giants moved out of a third-place tie with the BayStars. The top three teams in each league earn a spot in the playoffs to determine who will play in the season-ending Japan Series.

In a game that was more walkathon than pitchers’ duel, BayStars lefty Haruhiro Hamaguchi (9-6) issued three one-out walks in the first before Shuichi Murata doubled in two runs. Hamaguchi allowed three runs, two earned, on four hits, five walks and a hit batsman over four innings.

The Giants made it 3-0 in the second after a two-out error and an RBI double by Casey McGehee, who extended his franchise record for two-baggers to 46. Hatake had one of the Giants’ two RBI singles in their three-run, fifth.

Dragons at Tigers — ppd.

Swallows at Carp — ppd.

PACIFIC LEAGUE

Lions 3, Hawks 2 (10)

At MetLife Dome, rookie Sosuke Genda singled to open Seibu’s 10th inning and scored the winning run in the Lions’ walk-off victory after lefty Livan Moinelo (4-2) walked three straight batters with one out.

Buffaloes 4, Fighters 2 (10)

At Sapporo Dome, Stefen Romero’s two-run, 10th-inning homer broke a 2-2 tie and lifted Orix to a come-from-behind victory over Hokkaido Nippon Ham.

Marines at Eagles — ppd.