The 19th game between the Saitama Seibu Lions and Chiba Lotte Marines will be held at Belluna Dome on August 16th at 5 PM.

[Head-to-head record] Saitama Seibu Lions (2nd place) vs. Chiba Lotte Marines (5th place): 9 wins, 9 losses

[Announced Starting Pitcher]
Saitama Seibu Lions: Natsuki Takeuchi pitcher 17 games, 8 wins, 6 losses, 3.06 ERA
Chiba Lotte Marines: pitcher Kaito Mori 13 games, 3 wins, 3 losses, ERA 4.41

The Saitama Seibu Lions' starting pitcher Natsuki Takeuchi. He has faced Chiba Lotte Marines Marines four times by May, with a record of 3 wins and 1 loss and ERA of 3.51. In their last encounter on May 19th, he pitched 7 innings, throwing 106 pitches, allowing 7 hit, no Hit by Pitch strike out runs only 1 run, earning a quality start. Also, keep an eye on Nevin, who is on a 7-game hit. In the previous day's game, he was thwarted by good defense, but he hit a ball that looked like it would have been a hit in a go-ahead opportunity. Can they finally overcome their nemesis?

Chiba Lotte Marines will start pitcher Kaito Mori. He has an excellent record against Saitama Seibu Lions so far, with 3 wins and 0 losses in 5 games and ERA of 0.92. In their last encounter, he didn't allow a runner to reach third base until the 6th inning. Can the rookie left-hander, who has earned all of win in the first team against the Lions, lead his team to victory again today? On the offensive side, expectations are high for an explosion from the heart of the lineup, led by Koki Yamaguchi, who hit the go-ahead and game-winning hits in the previous day's game.

Written by Ryo Aritake