OSAKA, Japan (Interstat) — Allen Kuri pitched eight strong innings and Haruto Watanabe hit a three-run homer as the Orix Buffaloes defeated the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters 9-4 on Sunday afternoon at Osaka Dome before 30,990 fans.

The victory completed a three-game sweep for the Buffaloes, who improved to 16-9 and extended their winning streak to four games. The Fighters dropped to 11-15 with their fourth consecutive loss.

Orix took control early with a four-run fourth inning that broke open a tie game. After Nippon-Ham had rallied to even the score in the top of the third, the Buffaloes answered decisively. Seiya Yokoyama struck out to start the bottom of the fourth, but Kenya Wakatsuki singled to shallow center. Tomoya Noguchi walked, putting runners on first and second. Yuma Mune then singled to shallow right, scoring Wakatsuki and giving Orix a 5-4 lead. Watanabe followed with a three-run homer to right, extending the Buffaloes’ advantage to 8-4.

The four-run outburst proved to be the decisive blow, as Orix’s bullpen and Kuri’s continued effectiveness shut down any chance of a Fighters comeback. Kuri, who earned his second win against two losses, allowed four hits and four earned runs while striking out six over eight innings. He did not issue a walk after the first inning and retired 14 of the final 16 batters he faced.

Bob Seymour also homered for Orix, a two-run shot in the third inning that tied the game at 4-4. Seymour finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Ryoto Kita went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, delivering a two-run single in the first inning that gave the Buffaloes their initial lead.

Nippon-Ham starter Kohei Arihara took the loss, falling to 1-4. He allowed eight earned runs on nine hits over 4 1/3 innings, striking out four and walking two. The Fighters’ bullpen provided some relief, with Takumi Yamamoto throwing two scoreless innings, striking out three, and Yukiya Saito adding a scoreless frame. Tsubasa Nabatame allowed one earned run on two hits in 1 2/3 innings.

The game began with both teams scoring two runs in the first inning. Nippon-Ham struck first as Haruki Nishikawa walked, Kotaro Kiyomiya doubled to left-center, and Franmil Reyes grounded out to shortstop to drive in the first run. Ruan Ohtsuka then singled to shallow center to score Kiyomiya, giving the Fighters a 2-0 lead.

Orix answered in the bottom half. Watanabe walked, and after a flyout, Seymour singled. Tomoya Mori singled to shallow center, scoring Watanabe. Kita then singled to shallow center, driving in Seymour and Mori to give Orix a 3-2 lead.

The Fighters tied the game in the third. Reyes doubled to left, but the inning ended without further damage. Orix then took the lead for good in the bottom of the third when Seymour homered to left-center off Arihara, scoring Ryoma Nishikawa who had singled earlier.

Nippon-Ham attempted a rally in the eighth. With two outs, Kiyomiya walked, Reyes walked, and Yuki Nomura singled to shallow right, driving in two runs to cut the deficit to 8-6. But Ohtsuka struck out looking to end the threat. The Fighters managed only four hits in the game, with Nomura going 1-for-1 with two RBIs and Reyes 1-for-3 with an RBI.

Orix added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth against Nabatame. Wakatsuki struck out, Noguchi flied out, but the Buffaloes had already done enough damage earlier.

Kaito Iriyama pitched a scoreless ninth for Orix, allowing no hits and striking out none.

The game lasted 2 hours, 40 minutes.

Nippon-Ham’s early-season struggles continued as the Fighters have now lost seven of their last nine games. Orix, meanwhile, has won four in a row and eight of its last 10, climbing to 16-9. The Buffaloes have outscored the Fighters 16-8 over the three-game series.

Watanabe’s home run was his fourth of the season, and Seymour’s was his fifth. Nomura, who entered the game as a pinch hitter in the eighth, delivered the key hit for Nippon-Ham but it was not enough to overcome Orix’s large lead.

The Buffaloes’ pitching staff held Nippon-Ham to four hits, matching the Fighters’ total runs. Kuri’s eight-inning effort was his longest outing of the season.

Orix manager’s lineup featured Watanabe in center field, where he has been a consistent offensive contributor. Watanabe’s three-run homer in the fourth was the game’s defining moment, as it turned a one-run lead into a four-run advantage and effectively put the game out of reach.

Nippon-Ham’s defense committed no errors, but the Fighters were unable to generate sustained offense after the first inning. They left six runners on base, including three in scoring position.

The Fighters now travel to face the Saitama Seibu Lions for a three-game series beginning Tuesday. Orix will host the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks for a three-game set starting Tuesday.

In the head-to-head series this season, the Buffaloes now hold a 4-2 edge over the Fighters. The two teams will meet again next weekend for a three-game series in Hokkaido.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Orix 7, Hokkaido Nippon Ham 4. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Orix with a 50.60 percent probability to win. Orix had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of +1.5. The total score of 13 went over the over/under line of 6.0.