On September 6th at 1:00 PM, the 23rd game between the Orix Buffaloes and the Chiba Lotte Marines will be held at Kyocera Dome Osaka.

【Head-to-Head Record】Orix Buffaloes (4th) vs. Chiba Lotte Marines (5th): 14 wins, 8 losses

【Probable Starters】
Orix Buffaloes: pitcher Ryuhei Sotani (12 games, 5 wins, 6 losses, ERA 3.95)
Chiba Lotte Marines: pitcher Lucchesi (1 game, 0 wins, 0 losses, ERA 4.50)

The Orix Buffaloes enter the final game of "Bs Summer Campaign 2026 supported by SAMTY." The mound is entrusted to pitcher Ryuhei Sotani. In his previous start against Fukuoka Softbank, he was unable to keep the game under control, allowing 10 hits and 5 runs (4 earned runs) in 3 innings. So far this season, his ERA stands at 3.95 over 12 games, which is somewhat underwhelming, but can he deliver a strong performance in this important first game of September to achieve a strong finish?

　Ryoma Nishikawa showed excellent adaptability in his previous encounter with pitcher Lucchesi, recording the team's first hit in his second at-bat despite it being their first meeting. He contributed to the temporary tie that followed. Furthermore, he has scored the opening run in both games of this series, and expectations are high for his role in creating scoring opportunities.

For the Chiba Lotte Marines, pitcher Lucchesi will make his second start in Japan since the August 9th game against the Orix Buffaloes. In the previous matchup, partly due to being hit by a batted ball, he pitched 4 innings with 71 pitches, allowing 2 hits, 2 Walks, and 4 strike outs for 2 runs. Although he has not pitched in a game since then, can he secure his first NPB win with a pitch selection centered around his "churve" and fastball?

Text by Aoi Yokoyama