You probably didn't see this coming: Lights-out Samurai Japan hurlers no-hit MLB All-Stars

With impressive command and a fastball that touched the mid-90s, Takahiro Norimoto baffled the MLB All-Stars in Game 3 of the Japan Series early Saturday morning. The right-hander threw five perfect innings, striking out six along the way. That included K-ing Lucas Duda and Dexter Fowler on only six pitches in the top of the third. 

All together, it looked a little something like this: 

Norimoto is only 5-foot-10, limiting Major League interest so far, but the 23-year-old has been dominant in his first two NPB seasons. Pitching for the Rakuten Golden Eagles, Norimoto won the Rookie of the Year in 2013 with a 15-8 mark and 3.34 ERA while leading his team to its first NPB Japan Series victory.

Though Rakuten struggled to a last-place finish this season, it certainly wasn't Norimoto's fault. The right-hander lowered his ERA to 3.02 while topping 200 innings and striking out over nine batters per nine innings. 

Norimoto exited the game after five innings due to All-Star Series pitch count restrictions, but things didn't get much easier for the MLB lineup. Yuki Nishi (3.29 ERA in 166 IP for Orix), Kazuhisa Makita (3.74 ERA in 170 2/3 IP for Seibu) and Yuji Nishino (1.86 ERA in 58 IP as the closer for Chiba Lotte) combined to keep the MLB players out of the hit column over the last four innings. 

It looked like Carlos Santana may have broken up the no-no with one out in the top of the ninth when he smashed a grounder up the middle. Unfortunately for the MLB side, Ryosuke Kikuchi had been devouring ground balls like they were a food source all game long.

With one out left, it was down to the National League batting champ, Justin Morneau. All he could do was hit a soft grounder to first base for an easy out. 

Not only was Samurai Japan's combined no-hitter the first no-no in the All-Star Series since Randy Johnson and Chuck Finley teamed up for one in 1990, but it also clinched a series victory for Japan for the first time since that season. There's still pride and prize money to play for when the two clubs next square off on Sunday at 6 p.m. JT/4 a.m. ET.