Starting at 6:00 PM on July 23, the 15th match between Fukuoka Softbank and Orix Buffaloes will take place at MIZUHO PayPay Dome.

[Head-to-Head Record] Fukuoka Softbank (1st place) vs. Orix Buffaloes (4th place): 6 wins, 8 losses

[Announced Starting Pitchers]
Fukuoka Softbank: Haru Matsumoto vs. pitcher (6-2 in 13 games), ERA (3.53)
Orix Buffaloes: Leo Yamaguchi pitcher (11 games, 3-4), ERA 6.23 (minor league stats)

Fukuoka Softbank will Haru Matsumoto pitcher will start. So far, he has started two games against Orix Buffaloes, with a record of 0-1—losing the first one—but has posted a strong ERA of ERA 1.88. Additionally, Ryoya Kurihara the player put on a strong performance in his last game, recording 5 hit—including 2 Home Run—and 5 RBI. He leads the league by a wide margin with 29 Home Run, and with 73 RBI, Kensuke Kondo is competing with other players for the top spot.

Meanwhile, Orix Buffaloes, Leo Yamaguchi pitcher making his first start of the season. In his most recent start for the farm team, he pitched 5 innings, allowing 6 hit 3 Walk 4 runs and took the loss, but he’s been given a chance amid the team’s struggling starting rotation. Will he be able to secure a spot in the rotation by delivering a strong performance against the powerful Hawks lineup? The focus of the lineup is on Haruto Watanabe. Although he’s struggled in July with a .176 batting average, he’s currently on a four-game hitting streak hit dating back to the 19th. He’ll be looking to improve his form heading into the second half of the season.

By Aoi Nishijima