Thursday was a big day for a couple of 20-year-old rookies as Sho Yamaguchi took a no-hitter into the seventh inning at Jingu Stadium, and Haruto Takahashi beat the Yomiuri Giants at Koshien Stadium.

The Yakult Swallows, meanwhile, moved to within two losses of their Central League record for consecutive losses.

Central League

Carp 13, Swallows 0

At Jingu Stadium, Hiroshima rookie Sho Yamaguchi (1-0) allowed one hit over seven scoreless innings in his first pro start, as he dealt Yakult its 14th straight defeat.

The 20-year-old Yamaguchi, Hiroshima’s second draft pick in 2017, started out relying on a good fastball and slider, and mixed in his curve and splitter as the game went along. He didn’t allow a hit until Yakult rookie Munetaka Murakami muscled a broken-bat flare over short with two out in the seventh.

Xavier Batista opened the scoring in the first off Yasuhiro Ogawa (1-7) with his 13th home run and his fourth over the past seven days. Ogawa made too many mistakes up in the zone, and with Yakult’s defense looking less than solid he allowed seven runs on nine hits and four walks over 4-1/3 innings.

BayStars 8, Dragons 1

At Nagoya Dome, Jose Lopez hit a first-inning grand slam off Chunichi rookie Akiyoshi Katsuno, while DeNA lefty Katsuki Azuma (3-1) struck out 10, while tossing a five-hitter to win his third straight start.

Tigers 5, Giants 2

At Koshien Stadium, Hanshin lefty Haruto Takahashi (1-0) struck out nine, while allowing four hits and walking two, while Pierce Johnson and Rafael Dolis each worked a scoreless inning of relief to finish off Yomiuri.

Tigers cleanup hitter, 24-year-old Yusuke Oyama, hit a three-run, first-inning homer off Taylor Jungmann (3-2) and singled home Yoshio Itoi from third in the fifth inning. Jungmann repeatedly fell behind in counts and walked five.

Pacific League

Fighters 8, Marines 0

At Sapporo Dome, Kohei Arihara (6-2) struck out a career-high 13 batters in a four-hitter without issuing a walk to win his 14th career game at the Nippon Ham’s main park, and his 14th against Lotte, whom he’s beaten more than any other team.

Marines starter Atsuki Taneichi (3-1), winner of his previous three starts, struck out eight over four innings, but allowed 11 hits and a pair of home runs.

Second-year slugger Kotaro Kiyomiya iced the game in the fourth inning with a three-run home run, the 8,000th in franchise history.

Hawks 5, Buffaloes 4

At Kyocera Dome, Orix’s defense gave away two unearned runs for the second straight game, helping SoftBank win a bullpen game against one of the PL’s more impressive young pitchers, 20-year-old rookie Tsubasa Sakakibara.

Alfredo Despaigne broke a 2-2 tie in the sixth with a two-run home run, and a 4-4 tie with an eighth-inning RBI single. Sakakibara allowed four runs, two earned, over six innings and did not figure in the decision.

In other news

• Shun Takayama’s game-winning home run on Wednesday was the third sayonara grand slam in a game between the Hanshin Tigers and Yomiuri Giants. It was the first by a pinch hitter.
• Hanshin Tigers pitcher Shintaro Fujinami walked one batter and struck out two in three scoreless innings in a Western League game against Orix on Thursday.
• SoftBank Hawks outfielder Akira Nakamura, who was diagnosed with an autonomic nerve disorder in March, could be activated as early as Friday, when he is expected to rejoin the first team for practice in Fukuoka after playing in a Western League game on Wednesday with no difficulties.
• The Orix Buffaloes have activated infielder Kohei Suzuki, not to be confused with pitcher Kohei “K” Suzuki.