On October 5th from 18:00, the 25th round between Rakuten Eagles and Fukuoka Softbank will be held at Rakuten Mobile Saikyo Park Miyagi.

【Match Record】Rakuten Eagles (6th) vs Fukuoka Softbank (1st) 11 wins 13 losses

【Probable Starters】
Rakuten Eagles: Kenta Maeda pitcher 14 games 5 wins 4 losses, ERA 2.24
Fukuoka Softbank: Taiga Kamichatani pitcher 35 games 8 wins 2 losses, ERA 3.17

The starter for Rakuten Eagles is Kenta Maeda pitcher. In his previous appearance on September 24th against Hokkaido Nippon-Ham, he delivered an outstanding performance with 9 innings, 116 pitches, 2 hits, no walks or Hit by Pitch, and 9 strike outs, recording his first shutout game win since returning to NPB. Can he close out the final game of the season with a win? Meanwhile, the lineup is in good form, with Rui Muneyama on a 5-game hitting streak. In his previous matchup against the opposing starter, Taiga Kamichatani pitcher, he hit a go-ahead 2-run home run.

For Fukuoka Softbank, watch Ukyo Shuto. He has contributed to the team with his speed this season, including recording a bases loaded inside-the-park home run, and with a league-leading 29 stolen bases, his 5th stolen base title in 4 consecutive years is almost certain. He is just 1 away from 30 stolen bases for the 4th consecutive year. Will he expand scoring opportunities with a stolen base in this game as well?

Text by Minagi Niwa