Tokyo Yakult right-hander Tatsuyoshi Masubuchi flirted with Japanese baseball's first no-hitter of the season as the Swallows flew past the Yokohama BayStars 4-0 on Sunday.
The fifth-year Masubuchi, who made 57 appearances out of the bullpen last season, allowed just one hit over eight frames, departing Jingu Stadium after six strikeouts and 122 pitches to lead the Swallows to their first victory of the season.
Kazuhiro Hatakeyama backed up Masubuchi with his first two homers of the year — both solo shots — off Yokohama starter Shogo Yamamoto, who was tagged with the loss after giving up four earned runs on 10 hits in six innings.