Iwakuma becomes second Japanese pitcher to throw no-hitter

Hisashi Iwakuma on Wednesday became just the second Japanese pitcher to throw a no-hitter in Major League Baseball, striking out seven as the Seattle Mariners blanked the Baltimore Orioles, 3-0.

Hideo Nomo is the only other Japanese pitcher to throw a no-hitter, achieving the feat twice in 1996 as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers and in 2001 with the Boston Red Sox.

Iwakuma's no-hitter is the fourth in the majors this season as he joins Cole Hamels of the Philadelphia Phillies, Max Scherzer of the Washington Nationals and Chris Heston of the San Francisco Giants.

The 34-year-old Iwakuma is also the oldest Major League Baseball player to throw a no-hitter since Hall of Famer Randy Johnson did it in 2004 at age 40.
Source: AFP