On August 8th at 18:00, the 19th round match between Saitama Seibu Lions and Fukuoka Softbank will be held on Belluna Dome.

[Head-to-head Record] Saitama Seibu Lions (3rd place) vs. Fukuoka Softbank (1st place) 9 wins, 9 losses

[Announced Starting Lineup]
Saitama Seibu Lions: Chihiro Sumida pitcher 16 games, 7 wins, 6 losses, ERA 2.63
Fukuoka Softbank: Taiga Kamichatani pitcher 29 games, 7 wins, 0 losses, ERA 2.21

Saitama Seibu Lions 's starting pitcher was Chihiro Sumida pitcher. In his previous appearance (July 31, against Orix Buffaloes), he pitched 6 innings with 91 pitches, 8 hit, no walks Hit by Pitch 2 strike out 3 runs, and no decision. His first matchup against Fukuoka Softbank was his first matchup since April 21, when he earned a win with 4 runs over 7 innings. Will he pitch well in this game as well? In the batting lineup, An-Ko Lin has hit timely doble in the previous game.

On the other hand, Fukuoka Softbank Taiga Kamichatani pitcher, who has won three consecutive games since switching to starting, started the game. In their previous encounter on July 24, they pitched 6 innings with 89 pitches, 3 hit no walks Hit by Pitch 5 strike out 3 runs. Despite giving up two Home Run, they managed to secure a win. They want to show a steady pitch while being cautious of a single hit. Also, Kensuke Kondo has been in the hit for six consecutive games, including two hit in the previous game.

Text by Rihoko Niwa