OSAKA (Interstat) — Tatsuki Mizuno went 2 for 6 with a three-run home run and four RBIs, and the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters scored six runs in the eighth inning to beat the Orix Buffaloes 12-4 on Saturday, Aug. 15, at Osaka Dome.

Mizuno doubled in a run in the fifth, then homered to right-center in the eighth with two on. Naoki Arizono also drove in four runs, including a two-run double in the sixth and a three-run double in the eighth, and finished 2 for 3. Yuki Nomura hit a solo homer in the sixth.

The Fighters took a 2-0 lead in the fifth, added three in the sixth and broke it open with six in the eighth. Orix scored twice in the sixth and twice in the eighth but couldn’t close the gap.

Takayuki Katoh (11-2) allowed two earned runs and seven hits over 5.2 innings for the win, striking out one. Naruki Teranishi (4-3) took the loss, giving up two earned runs and four hits over five innings with three strikeouts.

Nippon-Ham outhit Orix 15-10 in front of 35,379 at Osaka Dome. The game lasted 3 hours, 20 minutes. Nippon-Ham improved to 61-49, while Orix fell to 53-53-1.