Former Seattle Mariners lefty Ariel Miranda did not allow a hit until the ninth inning, and Nobuhiro Matsuda homered twice to lead the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks to a 5-1 victory over the Seibu Lions on Saturday.
Miranda (2-0), pitching in his second game for the Hawks, lost his bid for a no-hitter when Lions leadoff man Shogo Akiyama opened the ninth inning with a single.
"I entered the game in good physical condition and was able to execute," said Miranda, who signed with the Hawks last month and struck out eight. "This may have been the best game I've ever pitched.