History Again in Dubai! Mid East Falcons Open Their Season With Combined No-Hitter

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Four pitchers combined for nine hitless innings as the Mid East Falcons launched into baseball history in their season debut.

Three Japanese pitchers led the way for the Falcons. Kazuki Yabuta worked 5.0 innings to open the game, striking out six. At the same time, “TBS Plan D” winner – a tryout competition created by Baseball United Chairman and CEO, Kash Shaikh, and Tokyo Broadcast System, one of Japan’s largest broadcasters – Yudai Mizushina pitched two innings with a walk and a strikeout. Shotaro Kasahara (1.0 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 1 SO) and Severino González (1.0 IP, 0 ER, 0 H) came on for the final two innings, completing the first major baseball feat in the history of Baseball United Season 1: a combined non-hitter, to beat Karachi 2-0.

In nearly 150 years of Major League Baseball (MLB) history, there have been only 21 combined no-hitters. Baseball United notched the historic feat in just its 5th game of the league’s inaugural season.

Yabuta opened with 68 pitches (45 strikes) to set the tone and claim the victory. Mizushina, Kasahara, and González (SV) hung the rest of the zeros to complete the pitching masterclass.

The first run of the game came in the sixth inning, when former NPB and MLB star Munenori Kawasaki and Jake Hjelle hit back-to-back doubles. The second run came in the eighth inning, after an error in the outfield during Federico Celli’s at-bat. Both runs were scored by another “TBS Plan D” winner, Yo Kanahara, who served as the Designated Runner for the Falcons.

Other highlights:

Mark Simon suffered the loss in this pitching duel, after working 5.1 innings, where he allowed 7 hits, one earned run, one walk, and had one strikeout.
This was Karachi’s third consecutive loss of the season, leaving their record at 1-3, placing them at the bottom of the Baseball United Season 1 standings.
The Falcons and Monarchs square off again on Friday, November 21st. Tomorrow night, the Arabia Wolves look to get their first win of the season versus the first-place Mumbai Cobras.