YOKOHAMA (Interstat) — Haruto Inoue pitched six shutout innings and Yuto Kohama drove in two runs as the Yomiuri Giants defeated the Yokohama BayStars 4-1 on Sunday afternoon at Yokohama Stadium.

Inoue allowed three hits and struck out three without walking a batter, improving his record to 2-2. The right-hander retired the side in order in the first, second, third and fifth innings and worked around a leadoff single in the fourth by inducing a double play. He threw 79 pitches in his first win since April 5.

Yokohama starter Yutaro Ishida took the loss, falling to 1-3. Ishida allowed two earned runs on seven hits over six innings, striking out six and walking none. He held the Giants to one run through three innings before Yomiuri added another in the fourth.

The Giants struck first in the second inning. Kota Hirayama doubled to right-center with two outs and scored on Kohama’s single to second base.

Yomiuri extended the lead in the fourth. Shunsuke Sasaki led off with a double down the right-field line and scored on a single to shallow left by Yukinori Kishida.

Yokohama got its only run in the sixth. Tatsuo Ebina singled to shallow center to lead off the inning. After Asahi Miyashita grounded out, Ebina moved to second. Shion Matsuo grounded to third but reached on an error, putting runners on first and third. Masaki Mimori singled to shallow right, scoring Ebina. The BayStars had runners on first and second with one out, but Keita Sano struck out and Dayan Viciedo grounded out to end the threat.

The Giants clinched the game with two runs in the eighth inning against the Yokohama bullpen. Trey Cabbage singled to shallow right off Jose Ruiz. Shunsuke Urata sacrificed, but Ruiz fielded and threw wide of first base, allowing runners to reach second and third with no outs. Sasaki walked to load the bases. Bobby Dalbec hit a sacrifice fly to right, scoring Cabbage. Yukinori Kishida was intentionally walked to reload the bases. Hirayama grounded to shortstop, forcing out Sasaki at second, but the bases remained loaded. Kohama then walked to force in the second run of the inning.

Yomiuri finished with 10 hits. Kohama went 2 for 3 with the two RBI and a walk. Hirayama had a double and a walk. Go Matsumoto doubled in the ninth inning for the Giants.

The BayStars managed only three hits. Mimori had two singles and the RBI. Ebina had the other hit.

Raidel Martinez pitched a perfect ninth inning, striking out one, to earn his seventh save of the season. Eito Tanaka and Taisei Ota each worked a scoreless inning of relief for Yomiuri, combining for two strikeouts.

For Yokohama, Daita Miyagi, Jose Ruiz and Yuya Sakamoto each threw one inning of relief, allowing one hit apiece. Ishida was the only BayStars pitcher to record a hit, striking out in the third inning.

The Giants improved to 14-10, while the BayStars fell to 11-12.

Yomiuri has won three consecutive games against Yokohama after losing the series opener in 11 innings on Friday. The Giants have won four of the six meetings between the teams this season.

Inoue bounced back from a loss April 19 at Yakult, where he gave up four hits and two earned runs over 4 2/3 innings. He was also 0 for 2 at the plate in that game.

Yomiuri returns home to face the Hiroshima Toyo Carp on Tuesday in the first game of a three-game series at Tokyo Dome. The BayStars travel to Nagoya to open a three-game set against the Chunichi Dragons on Tuesday.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Yokohama BayStars 7, Yomiuri Giants 4. Interstat’s ELO system projected Yokohama with a 54.30 percent probability to win. Yokohama had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of plus 1.5. The total score of 4 went over the over-under line of 6.5.