Starting at 5:00 PM on June 21, the 10th game of the series between Chiba Lotte Marines and Tohoku Rakuten Eagles will be held at Zozo Marine Stadium.

[Match Results] Chiba Lotte Marines (5th place) vs. Tohoku Rakuten Eagles (6th place) 6 wins, 3 losses

[advance notice
Chiba Lotte Marines: Kazuya Ojima pitcher 2 wins, 4 losses in 7 games, ERA 2.57
Tohoku Rakuten Eagles: Masaru Fujii pitcher 1 win, 3 losses in 6 games, ERA 3.27

Chiba Lotte Marines Ha, Kazuya Ojima pitcher will start the game. In his last start (against the Chunichi on the 11th), despite allowing 7 hit, he earned a runs with a solo Home Run, closer, and 5.2 innings with 1 runs, fulfilling his role as a starter. As for the batting lineup, Toshiya Sato Keep an eye on this player. Although he’s been struggling this month with a .182 batting average, he’s recently hit back-to-back Home Run. With Kojima pitcher expected to be his catcher, he’ll be looking to make his presence felt both offensively and defensively.

Northeast Rakuten Eagles 's first runner-up Masaru Fujii pitcher Although he pitched well in his last start (against Hiroshima on the 14th), allowing 3 runs over 7.1 innings, he suffered his third loss due to a lack of run support. He pitched tenaciously in this game as well—will he be able to secure his first win since May 24?

Also Naoki Sato In the game on the 19th, which marked the resumption of league play, the player delivered a strong performance, including his sixth solo home run hit. Although the team is currently in a tough spot, having lost four games in a row, hopes are pinned on him to deliver the clutch hit that will turn things around.

Text by Aoi Nishijima