◆ Pacific League: Softbank Hawks vs. Nippon-Ham (29th, Mizuho PayPay Dome)

Softbank Hawks, aiming for their first three-game winning streak to start the season in three years, has announced starting line-up for their game against Nippon-Ham.

The opposing team's starting mound will be Arihara. The right-hander served as the opening day pitcher for Softbank Hawks for two consecutive years until last season, and won the most wins title both times. As manager Kokubo had said before the game, "We'll line up a fair number of lefties," with the exception of fifth batter Yamakawa, eight of the nine players, including Tanigawara, who is starting starting line-up for the first time this season, and Kawase, are left-handed hitter.

Softbank Hawks 's starting pitcher will be Carter Stewart, whose last appearance in regular season was on November 3, 2012, in Game 6 of the Japan Series against DeNA (Yokohama). He did not pitch last season due to a left abdominal muscle injury. Can he celebrate his return to mound with a victory?

以下、ソフトバンクのスタメン。

1 (Central) Shuto

2 (left) Kondo

3 (Right) Yanagimachi

4 (DH) Yanagida

5. Mountains and Rivers

6 (3) Kurihara

7 (2) Makihara University

8 (Shortstop) Kawase

9 (capture) Tanigawahara

Pitcher: Carter Stewart