Kazuki Yoshimi once again looked like the ace of the Chunichi Dragons pitching staff, throwing a three-hit shutout in a 3-0 win over the Tokyo Yakult Swallows on Friday.
Yoshimi posted 10-plus wins for five straight seasons between 2008 and 2012, when he threw his last shutout. After that, elbow troubles have limited the right-hander's availability.
"This is something I've wanted to do, but to think it happened is pretty unbelievable. More than the shutout, I'm prouder of my mushikyu (no-walk, no-hit batsman) game," said Yoshimi (4-4) of his three-strikeout, 103-pitch effort in which he also drove in the winning run.