On June 4th at 6 PM, the second game of the "Nippon Life Interleague Series 2026" between Hanshin Tigers and the Saitama Seibu Lions will be held at Koshien.

[Head-to-head record] Hanshin Tigers (Central League 2nd place) vs. Saitama Seibu Lions (Pacific League 1st place): 0 wins, 1 loss

[Announced Starting Pitcher]
Hanshin Tigers: pitcher Yuki Nishi - 4 games, 3 wins, 1 loss, ERA 2.05
Saitama Seibu Lions: Kaima Taira pitcher 8 games, 3 wins, 1 loss, 0.68 ERA

The Saitama Seibu Lions Lions, aiming for their third consecutive series win in interleague play, will have pitcher Kaima Taira on mound as pitcher. Although he is two inning short of the required number of innings pitched, he has posted an ERA of 0.68. In his last start on May 26 against the Tokyo Yakult Swallows, he recorded his first professional hit in his eighth at-bat. Keep an eye out for his powerful swing, which rivals that of fielder and may be his last this year.

In the batting lineup, we have high hopes for Shinya Hasegawa, who is currently on a five-game hit. He has played in 23 games in May and is in good form with a batting average of .282. In the game against Tokyo Yakult on May 28th, he hit his fifth home run of the month, and has already recorded a career-high seven Home Run. The young Lion, in his sixth year since graduating from high school, is rapidly making his presence felt and will be a core player in the batting lineup in this game as well.

Written by Ao Yokoyama