Ryota Takinaka came within two outs of throwing a no-hitter as the Rakuten Eagles defeated the Seibu Lions 5-0 on Sunday.
Takinaka (2-1) allowed a one-out single to pinch-hitter Shota Hiranuma and left the mound in the ninth inning at Belluna Dome in Tokorozawa, eastern Japan.
The 28-year-old right-hander walked three and struck out nine, seven of them between the sixth and eighth innings, in a 123-pitch outing.
"I'm tired now," Takinaka said. "I did want to throw a no-hitter, but it's so me (that I could not)."
"My forkball worked well. I learned how to throw it from (teammate and former New York Yankees pitcher Masahiro) Tanaka-san during offseason training. I've been working on it since then."
Maikel Franco broke a scoreless tie with a solo homer in a two-run fifth. Two innings later, Takinaka's batterymate Yuma Yasuda added a two-run home run.
In other Pacific League action, the Lotte Marines beat the Nippon Ham Fighters 5-2, while the Orix Buffaloes and the SoftBank Hawks played out a 3-3, 12-inning tie.
In the Central League, the Hiroshima Carp downed the Yomiuri Giants 7-2.
