OSAKA (Interstat) — Anderson Espinoza allowed one earned run over seven innings and Bob Seymour hit a two-run homer as the Orix Buffaloes defeated the Nippon-Ham Fighters 3-2 on Friday night at Osaka Dome. Attendance was 28,715 and the game lasted 2 hours, 39 minutes.

Orix scored all three runs in the seventh inning. Ryo Ohta doubled in a run, and Seymour followed with a home run to right field. The Fighters had taken a 2-0 lead in the first inning on Yuya Gunji’s two-run single, then added a run in the ninth on a groundout by Gunji.

Espinoza (4-0) struck out seven and scattered three hits. Hiromi Itoh (2-2) took the loss despite striking out seven over eight innings, allowing three earned runs on seven hits. Andres Machado earned his fifth save, working a ninth inning with two hits and one run allowed.

The Buffaloes improved to 14-9, while the Fighters fell to 11-13. The teams continue their series Saturday at Osaka Dome.