The first game of the "Nippon Life Central-Pacific Interleague Series 2026" between the Fukuoka Softbank and the Hanshin Tigers will take place on June 9 at 6:00 PM at MIZUHO PayPay Dome.

[Last Season's Head-to-Head Record] Fukuoka Softbank vs. Hanshin Tigers: 2 wins, 1 loss

[Starting Pitchers]
Fukuoka Softbank: Ryosuke Otsu pitcher 9 games, 6 wins, 1 loss; ERA 1.14
Hanshin Tigers ERA: Hiroto Saiki (pitcher) 5-2 in 10 games, 3.13 ERA

Fukuoka Softbank, currently leading the Interleague standings with a 10-2 record, Ryosuke Otsu pitcher will start. In his previous game against Chunichi, he recorded his first career complete game win with a 1-hit, 1-Walk, and 11-strike out, marking his sixth win—a tie for the Pacific League lead. Will he continue his strong pitching and become the first to reach seven wins?

On the offensive side, with a .170 batting average Home Run and a .470 on-base percentage RBI, he leads the Pacific League Ryoya Kurihara players. In the Interleague games so far, he has a .275 batting average with 5 Home Run and 14 RBI. He is just four home runs shy of his career-high 21 from 2021. With his improved hitting, he is leading the team.

Text by Kana Niwa