Daisuke Yamai held Japan's best-hitting team to two hits over the distance as the Chunichi Dragons beat the Tokyo Yakult Swallows 6-0 on Saturday afternoon.
Yamai, who once combined with reliever Hitoki Iwase for a perfect game in the Japan Series and threw a no-hitter last year, didn't allow a hit through 6-2/3 innings. The right-hander struck out five, while walking three.
Yamai's control was not the sharpest, but he managed to throw all his pitches for strikes. The Swallows, who entered the game with a Japan-best .289 team batting average, flailed at a lot of pitches out of the zone in the early innings. After they adjusted, Yamai stopped missing bats, but with all his pitches at his disposal, he was unpredictable and produced tentative swings.