Fighters’ Ponce tosses season’s 5th no-hitter

SAPPORO — Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters right-hander Cody Ponce tossed the record h no-hitter in Japan pro baseball this season, blanking the Fukuoka So Bank Hawks 2-0 on Saturday at Sapporo

Dome.

Ponce (3-4) threw 113 pitches in striking out six and allowing just two baserunners, hitting a batter in the

rst inning and walking another in the ninth. e latter was wiped out by a double play that ended the game before the crowd of 23,136.

Ponce, 28, who joined the Fighters this year from the Pittsburgh Pirates, became the 87th pitcher to keep his opponent hitless in Japan pro baseball history. ere have been 98 no-hitters overall.

e ve no-hitters this season, including a perfect game by the Chiba

Lotte Marines’ Roki Sasaki on April 10, is the most ever since the start of the two-league system in 1950.

Fumikazu Kimura had an RBI single in the rst inning and Chusei Mannami led o the second with a home run to stake Ponce to an early 2-0 lead. (Aug. 28)