On June 11th at 6 PM, the third game of the "Nippon Life Interleague Series 2026" between Fukuoka Softbank and Hanshin Tigers will be held at MIZUHO PayPay Dome.

[Head-to-head record] Fukuoka Softbank (Pacific League 2nd place) vs. Hanshin Tigers (Central League 2nd place): 2 wins, 0 losses

[Announced Starting Pitcher]
Fukuoka Softbank: pitcher 7 games, 4 wins, 3 losses, 6.03 ERA
Hanshin Tigers: pitcher Masashi Ito, 1 game, 0 wins, 0 losses, ERA 11.57

Fukuoka Softbank will start C. Stewart Jr. In his previous start (against Chunichi on the 4th), he pitched 5.1 innings, throwing 98 pitches, allowing 4 hit, 2 Walk and 1 runs earning his 4th win of the season. This will be their first matchup against Hanshin Tigers in three years, but can he contain the powerful Tigers lineup?

In the batting lineup, keep an eye on Akira Kawase. After being removed from the roster on May 26th, he has had limited playing time in the minor leagues, At Bat 3 hit-8 in 3 games, but he has still managed to produce results. He was promoted to the first team on the 9th, and in the previous game, he responded to being given a starting role by getting one hit. He wants to contribute to the team as an indispensable player both offensively and defensively.

Written by Aoi Nishijima