The third game between Chiba Lotte Marines and Saitama Seibu Lions will be held at Zozo Marine Stadium on March 29th at 2 PM.

[Head-to-head record] Chiba Lotte Marines (tied for 1st place) vs. Saitama Seibu Lions (tied for 5th place): 2 wins, 0 losses

[Announced Starting Pitcher]
Chiba Lotte Marines: Kazuya Ojima pitcher 24 games, 8 wins, 10 losses, 3.72 ERA (last season)
Saitama Seibu Lions: Kaima Taira pitcher, 4 wins, 2 losses, 1.71 ERA (last season)

Chiba Lotte Marines will start pitcher Kazuya Ojima. Last season, he served as the opening day pitcher and was a pillar of the starting rotation, appearing in 24 games but failing to increase his win total, finishing with an 8-10 record. He has a good record against Saitama Seibu Lions, having won 14 games against them in the last three years. He struggled in the preseason games with ERA of 10.38 in two games, but the question is whether he can bounce back and show a better performance for the opening day.

Saitama Seibu Lions 's starting pitcher is scheduled to be Kaima Taira. He was temporarily sidelined during spring training due to a calf injury, but he has been steadily adjusting during the open games, posting a 1.50 ERA in 12 innings over 3 games. Last season, he was the team's closer and won the save title, but this season he will be trying his hand at starting again for the first time since 2024. He will be looking to show stable pitch and bring the team its first win of the season.

Written by Aoi Nemoto