Starting at 1:00 p.m. on June 14, the third game of the “Nippon Life Central-Pacific Interleague Series 2026” between the Orix Buffaloes and the Hanshin Tigers will be held at Kyocera Dome Osaka.

[Series Record] Orix Buffaloes (4th in the Pacific Division) vs. Hanshin Tigers (2nd in the Central Division) 1 win, 1 loss

[advance notice
Orix Buffaloes: Alen Kuri pitcher 5 wins, 4 losses in 11 games, ERA 2.70
Hanshin Tigers: Yuki Nishi pitcher 5 games, 3 wins, 2 losses; ERA 2.42

Their winning streak came to an end at four, and the Orix Buffaloes were overtaken by the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham, dropping to fourth place at Pacific League. They currently hold a .500 record in interleague play at 8-8-1, but will they be able to finish with a winning record in their final game?

First to go... Alen Kuri pitcher He’ll take the mound after four days’ rest. This will be his first matchup against Hanshin Tigers since 2024, when he was with the Hiroshima Carp; he struggled that year, going 0-3 in three starts. Facing them for the first time in two years at his home stadium, Kyocera Dome Osaka, he’ll be looking to secure a win at win with a strong pitching performance.

After hitting... Ryoma Yamanaka The player is currently on a six-game hitting streak hit. Since being called up in May, he has been in top form with a .323 batting average over 20 games, and on the 13th, he batted second and recorded a hit.

Text by Kainagi Niwa