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11/22/2024 04:29:55 am

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Samurai Japan No-Hits MLB All-Stars At Tokyo Dome

The Japanese national all-star team threw a no-hitter against the MLB All-Stars Saturday, adding another woeful day for America's best in their barnstorming campaign against Samurai Japan.

It was the second combined no-hitter in the Japan All-Star Series. Randy Johnson and Chuck Finley combined to no-hit the 1990 Team Japan squad.

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Adding injury to insult, Seattle Mariner star Robinson Cano injured his ankle and had to leave the game. 

The 4-0 defeat marked the third loss in a row by the U.S. squad. Samurai Japan, as the national team is called, has outscored the MLB All-Stars 21-12 and clinched a win in the five game series. The showcase has two games remaining.

The MLB team only won its first contest, an exhibition against a combined team with players from the Yomiuri Giants and Hanshin Tigers. However, even then the Japanese team rallied to score the final seven runs after the Americans jumped out to an 8-0 lead.

With 70,000 chanting, screaming and exuberant Team Samurai fans filling the Tokyo dome, Japanese starter Takahiro Norimoto mowed down 15 straight hitters on an MLB team that featured six all-stars.

Whether it was lack of focus or jet lag, or simply a matter of Norimoto's pitching lights out, the MLB team featuring both American League and National batting champions, Jose Altuve and Justin Morneau couldn't eke out a hit or walk.

Norimoto struck out six and was 20 pitches short of the 80-inning limit set for the series that runs months after the end of both the Japanese and American seasons.

Four more pitchers for Samurai Japan continued to stymie the Americans. Reliever Yuki Nishi gave up a walk against Lucas Duda of the Mets, before tossing two more innings of no-hit ball. Kazuhisa Makita and Yuji Nishino followed with perfect efforts.

The no-hit bid was preserved when Hiroshima Carp second baseman Ryosuke Kikuchi made a play for the ages robbing Carlos Santana of a seemingly sure hit.

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