KYODO NEWS - Jun 30, 2018 - 18:34 | Sports, All

Reliever Yoshihisa Hirano pitched his 25th consecutive scoreless outing on Friday, surpassing the Arizona Diamondbacks' club record, despite the team's 2-1 loss to the San Francisco Giants.

The right-hander took the mound with one out in the seventh, after Austin Slater doubled in a run to give the Giants a 2-1 lead at Chase Field. Hirano closed the inning by retiring both batters he faced.

"I pushed myself too hard at times, but I threw a variety of pitches so I was able to pitch at different heights without giving it much thought," he said. "Extending my (scoreless) streak will also contribute to my team. I just want to focus on retiring each batter I face."

He pitched a perfect seventh on Wednesday to tie the club record set by J.J. Putz in 2012 and equaled Brandon Lyon in 2008.

Hirano, who signed a two-year, $6 million deal with the Diamondbacks over the winter, is 2-0 with a 1.25 ERA in 39 games in his debut major league season. He has struck out 33 while allowing five runs, 22 hits, and 13 walks.

Hirano last gave up a run on May 5 in the eighth inning against the Houston Astros, when he allowed issued two walks and surrendered two RBI doubles.

The reliever is now tied with Shigetoshi Hasegawa for the second-longest scoreless-game streak by a Japanese pitcher in the majors. Koji Uehara has the longest streak, the former Boston Red Sox closer was unscored upon in 27 straight games and retired 37 consecutive batters in 2013, records which both remain club benchmarks.

Hirano is now 18 games short of Baltimore Orioles closer Zach Britton's 43-game streak without an earned run in 2016, the current major league record.

A right-hander who primarily throws fastballs and forkballs, Hirano spent his entire 11-year career in Japan with the Pacific League's Orix Buffaloes, where he joined as a premium pre-draft signing in 2005.

The 34-year-old began his career as a starter but became a full-time reliever in 2010 following shoulder surgery. He won the best middle reliever award in 2011, led the league with 40 saves in 2014, and played for Japan at the World Baseball Classic last year.

In Japan, he was 48-69 with 156 saves in 549 games, and had a 3.10 ERA.