Daytime sparkle …

Miura flirts with no-no for 8 innings, settles for gem

It’s hard for a ’Star to shine in the daytime, but Daisuke Miura put on a sparkling performance on Saturday.

The 38-year-old carried a no-hitter into the ninth inning, and finished with a two-hit gem as the Yokohama BayStars edged the Hanshin Tigers 2-1 at home.

Miura (4-1) gave up a single [off the wall in right] to pinch-hitter Shinjiro Hiyama to open the ninth, and Keiichi Hirano also singled with one out. Matt Murton’s grounder back to Miura scored pinch-runner Shunsuke Fujiwara from third, but the Tigers couldn’t extend the rally as the righty got Tomoaki Kanemura to pop out to third to end the game.

It was the third complete game for Miura the season and the win was the BayStars’ 10th of the season, making them the last of the 12 teams to reach double digits in victories.

Miura walked two and fanned just one, relying heavily on the defense behind him.

Yuki Yoshimura's two-run double in the sixth off loser Minoru Iwata (2-5) produced the game-winning runs.

Miura, who won five games last year and just three in 2010, said he’s glad fans still back him.

“I’ve had some tough years here recently and I’m just glad the fans hadn’t given up on me. It’s because of their support [that I pitched well],” he said.

DRAGONS 3, CARP 0

Tony Blanco slugged a pair of longballs and Shinji Iwata (3-1) worked 5.1 scoreless innings as Chunichi blanked Hiroshima at The Zoom.

Shinji Tajima and Takuya Asao bridged the gap to the ninth and closer Hitoki Iwase slammed the door in the ninth for his Japan-best 14th save.

GIANTS 1, SWALLOWS 1, 10 INNINGS

Ryosuke Morioka’s single up the middle with two down in the seventh inning got the Swallows even, and pitchers on both sides took over as Yomiuri and Yakult played to a draw at Akita.

PACIFIC LEAGUE

LIONS 9, FIGHTERS 8

Second-year righty Yuki Saito (4-2) suffered through his worst -- and shortest -- outing of his career, getting bombed for nine runs [four earned] on six hits and four walks as Seibu topped host Nippon Ham.

Saito got chased after 1.1 innings, but the Lions didn't score after that. The Fighters scored four runs over the seventh and eighth innings and put three across in the ninth before Hideaki Wakui got the final out with the bases loaded.

Shogo Akiyama had two hits and three RBIs for the Lions.

EAGLES 2, BUFFALOES 1

Yusuke Kosai homered, his first since Sept. 5, 2009, and Takahiro Shiomi (4-3) and two relievers held off Orix at Kyocera Dome Osaka as Rakuten won its fourth straight.

The Shinichiro Koyama got Shiomi out of a bases-loaded mess with two down in the ninth and Koji Aoyama let the tying run get 90 feet away with two outs before recording his fourth save in as many days.

MARINES 3, HAWKS 2, 11 INNINGS

Shunichi Nemoto tripled and scored on Katsuya Kakunaka's sac fly to lift Lotte past SoftBank to a walk-off win at The Q.

SoftBank's Hiroki Kokubo evened the score with a clutch two-run single in the eighth, his 1,993rd career hit.