Chunichi Dragons ace Kazuki Yoshimi remained untouchable this season, throwing seven scoreless innings in a 3-1 win over the Central League-leading Tokyo Yakult Swallows.

Yoshimi (2-0), who has returned from Tommy John surgery, has yet to allow a run in 20 innings this season. The 30-year-old allowed six hits but no walks, while striking out nine.

“It’s still early,” Yoshimi said of his streak. “I just want to go out each game and forget about what’s come before.

“I’m not really back yet. If a year from now, I’m pitching well, then you can say I’m back.”

Shuhei Takahashi broke up a scoreless pitchers’ duel in the fourth inning with a two-run double off another comeback kid, Yakult starter Nagisa Arakaki (1-1). Arakaki, who was traded to the Swallows last summer, won this spring for the first time in two seasons and is nine years removed from his last 10-win season. The 34-year-old righty allowed two runs on eight hits and two walks over six innings.

Yakult was unfortunate not to open the scoring in the top of the fourth. With one out and a runner on second, Kazuhiro Hatakeyama smoked a grounder into right. Dragons right fielder Atsushi Fujii charged and threw a strike home.

Dragons catcher Masato Matsui obstructed home plate without the ball. Swallows runner Shingo Kawabata slid into Matsui’s leg and then tried to scramble behind him. Matsui held on to Fujii’s throw but neglected to tag the runner. Plate umpire Kazuhiro Kobayashi called the runner out without a tag as is the custom in such plays in Nippon Professional Baseball.

“The team helped me out there,” Yoshimi said. “If the fielders make an error, I have to have their back. Today they had mine.”

Nobumasa Fukuda drove in the Dragons’ third run in the seventh on a sharp grounder that Swallows center fielder Yuhei Takai overran. Fukuda went to third with a triple when the ball rolled all the way to the wall without an error being charged.

Hatakeyama broke up the shutout with a ninth-inning opposite-field homer off Koji Fukutani, who earned his fifth save.