The Tokyo Yakult Swallows completed a combined no-hitter against the Hiroshima Carp on Thursday night at Mazda Zoom-Zoom Stadium, with Nash Walters, Jesús Liranzo, and José Quijada combining for the historic effort in a 1-0 victory.
Making just the third start of his NPB career, Walters delivered seven no-hit frames while allowing only three baserunners. He issued a walk in the second inning, hit a batter in the fourth, and saw another runner reach on an error in the seventh. The 29-year-old American was removed after throwing 101 pitches and recording seven strikeouts.
“I was helped by (my catcher) Koga’s leadership and the defense behind me,” Walters told reporters after the game. He also expressed confidence that the relievers would complete the job, saying, “We have good pitchers in the bullpen.”
Walters joined the Chunichi Dragons in 2025 after an impressive showing at Driveline’s Pro Day. He went on to make 33 appearances in the minor leagues but pitched only three times for the top team before leaving Chunichi and signing with Yakult during the offseason. He had spent much of the 2026 season on the Swallows’ farm before earning the start on Thursday.
Dominican right-hander Jesús Liranzo replaced Walters and retired the side in order in the eighth inning on just eight pitches. Venezuelan closer José Quijada then entered for the ninth and worked through a tense finish.
Quijada allowed runners to advance to second and third on walks before striking out Ryosuke Kikuchi with a 95 mph fastball to complete the combined no-hitter.
Yakult scored the game’s only run in the top of the second inning when Kakeru Yamanobe delivered an RBI triple. The Swallows protected the 1-0 advantage for the remainder of the game.
Hiroshima had defeated Yakult with walk-off wins on each of the previous two nights, leaving the home crowd hoping for another late rally that would both break up the no-hitter and complete a third consecutive walk-off victory. This time, however, the Swallows’ pitching staff held firm.
The win allowed Yakult to keep pace with the Hanshin Tigers and Yomiuri Giants in the Central League pennant race. Under first-year manager Takahiro Ikeyama, the Swallows have emerged as one of the season’s biggest surprises, improving to 39-37-1 and just 2.5 games behind first place.
Combined efforts are not officially recognized as no-hitters under Nippon Professional Baseball’s record-keeping rules, but the achievement was still historic. It marked the sixth combined no-hitter in NPB history and the first completed exclusively by foreign-born pitchers. All three players joined the team this season.
Photo: Los Angeles Angels’ Nash Walters throws during a spring training baseball workout Friday, Feb. 17, 2023, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
