M. Kobayashi Throws First

The Yakyu gods sure do bless the Chiba Lotte Marines come Sunday. 
Since April 23rd, the Marines have won 10 Sunday matches in a row (plus
one tie), all started by Shingoh Ono.  Yesterday (7/2), Ono didn't
figure in the decision (he's won 8 of those 10), but Masahide Kobayashi
got his second Sunday win pitching to no batters.

What?  How could he win pitching to no batters?

Well, here's the situation.  It's the bottom of the 8th, Orix just
took the lead with a 4-3 lead off home run off the bat of Arias. 
One out later, Ichiro singled to left.  After one more out, Yamamoto-kantoku
decided to go with right hander M. Kobayashi to face Fujii, replacing left
handed Fujita, who had been pitching since the 6th.

Kobayashi's second pitch to Fujii was a wild pitch.  Ichiro took
second, and tried for third, but...  He was touched out!  That
made out number three.  Since the out occurred while Fujii was still
at bat, that at bat doesn't count.  Kobayashi threw two pitches, but
to no batters.

Lotte then turned the game around with a gyaku-ten 2 run double off
the bat of Ohtsuka in the top of the 9th.  Warren came in to close
out the 9th inning, giving up no runs on one hit for the save.  Kobayashi
became the first pitcher in Pro Yakyu history to get a win throwing to
no batters.

Winning a game on 1 pitch had been done by 11 pitchers, on 2 pitches
by 31.  But in every case, they got at least one batter out.

Five pitchers have gotten saves throwing to no batters in a similar
fassion to Kobayashi's win.  Of those, in 1980, Kinjyoh (Nankai) and
in 1981 Miura (Nankai) each picked a runner off right after coming into
the game for 0-pitch saves.