Daisuke Yamai carried a no-hitter into the ninth inning as the Chunichi Dragons beat the Yomiuri Giants 3-1 on Wednesday to extend their winning streak to six games.
Hayato Sakamoto broke up Yamai's (5-4) no-hit bid with a leadoff homer in the ninth at Nagoya Dome. The right-hander struck out eight and walked two before Hitoki Iwase got the final three outs for his 32nd save.
Yamai's performance reminded baseball fans of the Dragons' championship-clinching Game 5 of the 2007 Japan Series, in which his perfect bid ended when manager Hiromitsu Ochiai sent Iwase to the mound to start the ninth.