Hiroya Miyagi of the Nippon Professional Baseball Oryx Buffaloes threw a 117-pitch complete game on the night before his 22nd birthday.

Miyagi started the game against the Seibu Lions at the Verunadome in Saitama Prefecture, Japan on April 24 and pitched nine innings of four-hit ball, striking out 12 and walking none. The Orix won 5-0.메이저사이트

Miyagi leads the league in complete games with his third shutout of the season. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the team’s ace and considered the best pitcher in Nippon Professional Baseball, does not have a complete game this season. He has one complete game.

Miyagi’s 12 strikeouts were also a season high. In 18 games this season, Miyagi is 9-4 with a 2.49 ERA. He is third in ERA, tied for third in wins, and tied for ninth in strikeouts (98).

Miyagi got all three outs in the first inning on swinging strikes, using a slider, fork, and changeup. In the second inning, he used eight pitches to get two grounders to third base and a fly ball to center field. The third inning was also eight pitches, with two grounders to center field and a strikeout to end the inning.

Keita Nakagawa / Oryx Club Website

KKK in the fourth inning to end the inning. He followed with a slider, a fork, and a changeup, each for swinging strikes. Allowed his second hit of the day in the fifth after getting two outs on a grounder to third and a swinging strikeout. A swinging strikeout with two on and one out ended the inning.

Gave up a hit with two outs in the sixth, but got out of the inning unscathed, and finished the seventh with two infield grounders and a strikeout. In the top of the eighth, he was hit by a double off the bat of pinch-hitter Kakeru Yamanobe. With runners on first and second, he got two grounders to end the inning.

Miyagi, who threw 101 pitches through the eighth inning, completed the shutout with back-to-back strikeouts in the top of the ninth.

The team’s offense scored four runs in the fourth inning, including a three-run homer by Keita Nakagawa, and Nakagawa added an RBI single in the seventh.

Hiroya Miyagi / Orix Club Website

With Miyagi’s no-hitter, the Orix have now allowed one run or less in their last seven games. It all started on April 17 when Miyagi started and pitched six innings of one-run ball in a 2-1 win over SoftBank. It was a franchise record for the first time in 82 years since 1941.

Manager Satoshi Nakajima said, “I wanted him to pitch alone today, but he pitched well in the heat. His changeup was especially good, and he threw it right where he wanted it.”

Miyagi’s birthday is August 25. He was congratulated by the fans in the post-game hero interview, who applauded him. “I’m happy to have been congratulated by so many people the day before,” Miyagi said with a smile, “I’m turning another year older, so I want to work hard to become a good adult.”

“I think it was good that I was able to give the next batter a one-pitch battle right after I got hit. I didn’t walk any batters, so that was good. I’m not too concerned about the strikeout numbers. I want to work on pitching better,” he said.