The 17th game between Fukuoka Softbank and Hokkaido Nippon-Ham will be held at MIZUHO PayPay Dome on August 6th at 6 PM.

[Head-to-head record] Fukuoka Softbank (1st place) vs. Hokkaido Nippon-Ham (3rd place): 14 wins, 2 losses

[Announced Starting Pitcher]
Fukuoka Softbank: pitcher C. Stewart Jr. 12 games, 6 wins, 4 losses, 5.27 ERA
Hokkaido Nippon-Ham: Haruki Hosono pitcher 10 games, 3 wins, 5 losses, ERA 2.84

Fukuoka Softbank, who extended their winning streak to five games in their last match and whose magic number for winning the championship is now "37," will start pitcher C. Stewart Jr. In his previous start on July 22nd (against Orix Buffaloes), he earned a win by allowing only two runs in seven innings, but in his last match against Hokkaido Nippon-Ham (July 15th), he failed to fulfill his role, giving up six hit and four runs in less than three innings. In this game, he will be looking to pitch as many inning as possible and lead his team to win.

On the other hand, Hokkaido Nippon-Ham pitcher Haruki Hosono will be making his first appearance in the first team since July 18th. This will be his first matchup against Fukuoka Softbank since May 23rd, where he gave up 4 hit, 3 Hit by Pitch, and 4 runs in 3 innings, failing to perform at his best. Will he be able to get revenge in this game? In the batting lineup, Reyes, who currently boasts the league's top batting average of .324, has reached base in 5 consecutive games since the All-Star break.