The 8th game between Chiba Lotte Marines and Fukuoka Softbank will be held at Zozo Marine Stadium on June 26th at 6 PM.

[Head-to-head record] Chiba Lotte Marines (5th place) vs. Fukuoka Softbank (2nd place): 3 wins, 4 losses

[Announced Starting Pitcher]
Chiba Lotte Marines: pitcher Jackson, 12 games, 4 wins, 5 losses, ERA 3.47
Fukuoka Softbank: Ryosuke Otsu pitcher 11 games, 7 wins (tied for 2nd), 2 losses, ERA 1.77 (2nd)

Chiba Lotte Marines will entrust the task of ending their losing streak to pitcher Jackson. In the interleague series, he started three games and achieved a quality start in all of them. With a record of 2 wins and 0 losses and ERA of 0.95, he showed outstanding consistency against the league he played in until last season. This will be his first game against Fukuoka Softbank since Game 5 of the Japan Series on October 31, 2024. Despite mound on only four days' rest, he pitched seven scoreless innings, allowing only three hit strike out runs eight, so we can expect another strong performance from him in this game.

Fukuoka Softbank will be starting pitcher Ryosuke Otsu. In his last start (on the 19th Hokkaido Nippon-Ham), he gave up 7 hit 4 runs in 7 innings, missing out on a quality start for the first time this season and pitcher Hit by Pitch lose. Nevertheless, he did not give up any walks or hit batters, and his excellent control remains intact. With 11 BB, he has given up only 9 walks, demonstrating remarkable stability in his pitch. Can he use his control to lead his team to a third consecutive victory?

Written by Ao Yokoyama