‘Is it a no-hitter curse’ Japan’s top pitcher gives up three runs on nine hits…career-high sixth loss, 44th consecutive no-hitter

The curse of the ‘no-hitter’ is broken: 44 consecutive no-hitters.

The best pitcher in Nippon Professional Baseball, Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Oris), took the loss in his next start after a no-hitter.

Yamamoto started the game against Rakuten on June 16 at the Kyocera Dome in Osaka, Japan. He threw 104 pitches in seven innings, allowing nine hits, three walks and three runs (two earned) with two strikeouts to take the loss. 1-3 loss for the Ducks.

It was his sixth loss of the season, the most in a single season. Improved to 14-6 with a 1.32 ERA on the season. He remains the Pacific League leader in wins and ERA.

The game started with a triple in the first inning. He gave up a leadoff single to Asamura and walked Abe a batter later. With runners on first and second, he got out of the jam with a foul fly to third and a fly ball to left field.

Kobukata singled to right and Shimauchi singled to center to put runners on first and second with one out in the first. He threw a curveball to Asamura, who hit a single to left to tie the game at 1-1.

Okashima was then hit by a forked ball and lined a single to center to make it a 1-2 game. A pitcher’s interference call put runners on first and second to end the inning.

Allowed a single up the middle in the fourth inning, but made a quick throw to first base to end the inning. Ended the inning with a swinging strikeout two batters later.

In the fifth, an error allowed another run to score. Leadoff hitter Kobukada singled up the middle, and the runner advanced to third on a fielding error. A bases-loaded sacrifice fly scored the third run.

The sixth inning was also a crisis. With one out, Abe hit a double to left, and the left fielder fumbled once, advancing the runner to third. He got out of the jam with a strikeout, and after giving up a walk, he got a grounder to shortstop to end the inning with runners at first and third.

In the seventh, Kobukada led off with a single up the middle and a sacrifice bunt put runners on first and second. An infield grounder and an outfield popup ended the threat. Trailing 1-3, the ball was turned over to the bullpen in the eighth.안전놀이터

The Oryx bats opened the scoring in the second inning on an infield grounder following a double and a third baseman’s error, but failed to capitalize on runners on second and third in the fourth, first and second in the sixth, and second and second in the eighth.

Yamamoto tossed a no-hitter against the Chiba Lotte Marines at Jojo Marine Stadium in Japan on April 9, allowing just one hit and one walk while striking out eight in nine innings (102 pitches). He became the third player in history to throw a no-hitter in back-to-back years.

Throwing a then-high 156 mph fastball, he needed just 47 pitches to complete a perfect game through the fifth inning. On six days’ rest, he allowed nine hits against Rakuten, his most since April 22 when he allowed 11 against Seibu.