The 2012 NPB season opened Friday and it wasn't bereft of a little bit drama on Opening Day. The fans at Tokyo Dome nearly saw a bit of history as Tokyo Yakult Swallows pitcher Masanori Ishikawa flirted with the first no-hitter in Opening Day history.
Ishikawa kept the Yomiuri Giants totally off balance in a dominating performance that saw him carry a no-hitter into the ninth before allowing a pair of hits in Yakult's 4-0 victory on Friday.
"I knew I had to attack them if we were going to win," Ishikawa said. "I tried to attack them on the outside."