Threw his first no-hitter of the season.
SoftBank Hawks right-hander Shota Ishikawa (32) threw a no-hitter against the Seibu Lions. Ishikawa allowed just four hits and no runs on four pitches until the ninth inning in the Seibu game at the Fukuoka Dome on April 18. He faced 32 batters and threw 127 pitches, striking out eight.
It is the first no-hitter in both leagues of Nippon Professional Baseball this season. It is the 88th all-time (including perfect games) in Nippon Professional Baseball. SoftBank won 8-0 behind Ishikawa’s performance.
He gave up two singles in the top of the first, but got Takeya Nakamura, No. 4, to ground into a double play.
He retired the next three batters in order in the top of the second, then gave up a second walk with two outs in the top of the third. This time, he got Sosuke Genda to ground out to second base.
He used his fastball to attack the Seibu lineup. He retired three straight batters over 4.5 innings. With two outs in the top of the sixth, he drew his third walk of the game and promptly advanced. He struck out No. 3 Mark Peyton on a swinging strike. I got a forked ball down low in the strike zone.
Retired Nos. 4-6 in the top of the seventh and Nos. 7-9 in the top of the eighth. Struck out the leadoff batter, Takeya Hiruma, on a swinging strike in the top of the ninth, raising hopes of a no-hitter. He then walked No. 2 Shota Hiranuma to load the bases. It was his fourth out.
He hit a line drive to center field. He struck out Manaya Nishikawa on a swinging strike. He then got Nakamura, No. 4, to ground out to first base to complete the shutout.
In his postgame interview, Ishikawa said, “I didn’t think I would get a no-hitter. I wasn’t even conscious of the record. It was a lot of luck. The batters scored runs, so I felt comfortable throwing.”
SoftBank set the tone early with a five-run second inning. Single runs in the third and fourth innings gave them a comfortable lead.
Ishikawa, a 10-year pro, is 3-5 with a 3.84 ERA in 16 appearances this season. He won seven games last season.
On May 11, 2022, Nao Higashihama tossed a no-hitter against Seibu, the second consecutive year he has done so for SoftBank.
There were five no-hitters last season, including a perfect game by Chiba Lotte Marines’ “monster pitcher” Roki Sasaki (22). Shota Imanaga (Yokohama BayStars), Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Orix Buffaloes), and Cody Pons (Nippon Ham Fighters) also set the record. 안전카지노사이트