On October 5th at 6:00 PM, the 24th game between the Chiba Lotte Marines and the Saitama Seibu Lions will be held at Zozo Marine Stadium.

【Head-to-Head Record】Chiba Lotte Marines (5th) vs. Saitama Seibu Lions (2nd) 11 wins, 12 losses

【Probable Starters】
Chiba Lotte Marines: pitcher Yuji Nishino 6 games 1 win 2 losses, ERA 4.41
Saitama Seibu Lions: pitcher Kona Takahashi 21 games 9 wins 6 losses, ERA 2.58

The focus for the Chiba Lotte Marines is Misho Nishikawa, who is aiming to win his first-ever most hits title. In the game against the Tohoku Rakuten Eagles on the 3rd, he recorded 1 hit, bringing his current total to 154 hits. At this point, the league leader, Ryoma Nishikawa of the Orix Buffaloes, has finished the season with 155 hits. Will one more hit be produced? Starting pitcher Yuji Nishino will take the mound for the first team for the first time since the game against the Tohoku Rakuten Eagles on May 23rd.

On the other hand, for the Saitama Seibu Lions, a win in one of their remaining two games will secure 2nd place and confirm hosting the "Persol CS Pa" first baseman stage at home. Starting pitcher Kona Takahashi has recorded 9 wins so far this season. In the previous matchup (September 25th), he pitched well, allowing no hits and 1 Walk with no runs over 5 innings. Will he get his first win since the game against the Tohoku Rakuten Eagles on August 28th and achieve double-digit wins for the 5th time since 2023?

Text by Kanako Fukushima