The 16th game between Orix Buffaloes and Hokkaido Nippon-Ham will be held at Kyocera Dome Osaka on July 18th at 2 PM.

[Head-to-head record] Orix Buffaloes (4th place) vs. Hokkaido Nippon-Ham (3rd place): 5 wins, 10 losses

[Announced Starting Pitcher]
Orix Buffaloes: pitcher Jerry, 13 games, 3 wins, 5 losses, ERA 2.42
Hokkaido Nippon-Ham: Haruki Hosono pitcher 9 games, 2 wins, 5 losses, 3.20 ERA

Orix Buffaloes 's starting pitcher, Jerry, has been pitch in his last two starts, being pulled in the third inning. After a 10-day rest, he faces Hokkaido Nippon-Ham, the team that hit him hard in their previous encounter, giving up 9 hit 5 runs in 2.1 innings. He'll be closer from the start and get his revenge. The team suffered three straight losses in their previous series against Rakuten Eagles Rakuten, but Kotaro Kobayashi has recorded multiple hit in three consecutive games.

On the opposing side, Hokkaido Nippon-Ham will have pitcher Haruki Hosono mound for the first time since July 4th. This will be their first matchup against Orix Buffaloes this season, but he pitched well in their previous encounter on May 15th last season, throwing six runs innings. He'll be looking to secure win in about a month and make a case for a permanent spot in the rotation. Offensively, Taiki Narama hit his fourth home run of the season the previous day, extending hit streak to five games. Can he continue this form and make his presence felt at the plate as well?

Written by Kai Nagi Niwa