The first game of the "Nippon Life Interleague Series 2026" between Hiroshima and Hokkaido Nippon-Ham will be held at Mazda Stadium on June 2nd at 6 PM.

[Head-to-head record] Hiroshima vs. Hokkaido Nippon-Ham 1 win, 2 losses

[Announced Starting Pitcher]
Hiroshima: pitcher Hiroki Tokoda, 9 games, 2 wins, 2 losses, ERA 2.43
Hokkaido Nippon-Ham: pitcher Hiromi Ito 10 games, 6 wins, 2 losses, ERA 2.81

Hokkaido Nippon-Ham 's starting pitcher, Hiromi Ito, is currently on a four-game winning streak and is in excellent form. In his last start against Hanshin Tigers, he pitched a complete game shutout, allowing only seven hit and Hit by Pitch strike out 13 batters over nine innings, earning his first shutout game win of the season. Although he pitch a bit early in the season, he has a great May record of four wins in four starts, ERA of 1.24, and strike out rate of 9.62. He will be looking to lead his team to the top of the standings with his pitch from June onwards.

The batting lineup is in top form, with Chusei Mannami on a seven-game hit. In the game The Giants on the 31st, he hit his 12th home run of the season, a crucial late-game solo shot that added to the Pacific League Home Run, behind Ryoya Kurihara with 16. Can he get into a scoring streak and aim for his first home Home Run title?

Written by Kai Nagi Niwa