TOKYO (Interstat) — On a cool Friday evening at Meiji Jingu Stadium, Yuya Yanagi authored a masterpiece, spinning a complete-game, three-hit shutout to will the struggling Chunichi Dragons to a tense 1-0 victory over the Central League-leading Tokyo Yakult Swallows.

In a stunning reversal of pregame projections, Yanagi’s brilliance overshadowed a strong collective effort from the Yakult bullpen and rendered a first-inning run decisive before a crowd of 27,611. The game, which lasted 2 hours and 58 minutes, saw the Dragons improve to 2-5 across all competitions while handing the Swallows just their first loss of the season, dropping them to 5-1.

The contest’s most critical sequence unfolded immediately. Facing Yakult starter Kojiro Yoshimura in the top of the first, Chunichi’s Mikiya Tanaka worked a one-out walk. Hiroki Fukunaga followed with a single to shallow right, and Seiya Hosokawa delivered the game’s only run, lacing a single down the right-field line to score Tanaka.

That solitary run, scored before many in the historic stadium had settled into their seats, held up for the remainder of the night thanks to Yanagi’s dominance. The right-hander was in complete command, scattering three singles and a walk while striking out six. He faced minimal trouble, allowing only two Swallows to reach second base. The first was Ryui Itoh, who singled and stole second in the third inning but was stranded. The last, and most dramatic, came in the bottom of the ninth.

With Yanagi seeking the final three outs, Hideki Nagaoka grounded out and Domingo Santana struck out swinging. Pinch-hitter Seiya Hashimoto then ripped a double to left-center, bringing the potential tying run into scoring position. Unfazed, Yanagi induced a routine fly ball to center from Jose Osuna to seal the victory, improving his personal record to 1-0.

Yanagi’s gem was a stark turnaround from his season debut six days prior, a 6-5 extra-inning loss in Hiroshima where he allowed one earned run over six innings. For the Dragons, mired in a slow start that included series losses to the Yomiuri Giants and Hiroshima Toyo Carp, his performance provided a desperately needed spark.

Yoshimura was saddled with the hard-luck loss for Yakult, falling to 1-1. He battled through five innings, yielding the lone run on six hits while matching Yanagi with six strikeouts. The Swallows’ relief corps of Yu Hirosawa, Naofumi Kizawa, Kazuto Taguchi, and Noboru Shimizu was flawless over the final four frames, allowing just one hit and striking out three to keep the deficit at one.

Chunichi’s offense managed eight hits but repeatedly failed to provide Yanagi with insurance. They put runners in scoring position in the fourth, fifth, and ninth innings but could not capitalize. Yutaro Itayama’s eighth-inning double was also left stranded.

Yakult’s bats, which had propelled them to a hot start, were silenced completely. Only Itoh, Hashimoto, and Ryusei Takeoka managed hits off Yanagi, with Itoh’s third-inning single and stolen base representing their only early threat.

The result defied the pregame analytics. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a 7-1 Yakult victory, and its ELO system gave the Swallows a 58.5% probability to win. While Chunichi had been installed as a slight underdog with a +1.5 run spread, the total score of one run dramatically went under the over/under line of 6.5, underscoring the unexpected pitcher’s duel.

The Dragons will look to build on this momentum as the series continues at Meiji Jingu Stadium on Saturday, April 4, and Sunday, April 5. They then travel to face the Yokohama BayStars on April 7 and 8. The Swallows, after hosting Chunichi for two more, embark on a challenging road trip starting April 7 with three games in Osaka against the Hanshin Tigers, followed by a three-game set in Tokyo against the Yomiuri Giants.