On September 9th from 18:00, the 22nd round match between the Orix Buffaloes and Saitama Seibu Lions will be held at Hotto Motto Field Kobe.

【Match Record】Orix Buffaloes (4th) vs. Saitama Seibu Lions (2nd) 10 wins, 10 losses, 1 draw

【Announced Starters】
Orix Buffaloes: Alen Kuri pitcher 23 games 8 wins 10 losses, ERA 3.20
Saitama Seibu Lions: Shinya Sugai pitcher 7 games 2 wins 2 losses, ERA 3.05

The starter for the Orix Buffaloes is Alen Kuri. In his last three games, he has notably conceded multiple runs in the middle innings and is currently on a three-game losing streak. In his previous matchup against the Seibu Lions (August 18th), he had a frustrating result, giving up 6 runs (3 earned runs) in the middle of the 4th inning, but can he pull off a win with a strong performance in this game? In the lineup, Koji Oshiro has produced results against Shinya Sugai in two matchups this season, totaling 2 hits and 3 RBI in 4 At Bats.

On the other hand, for the Seibu Lions, Sugai will take the mound for the first team for the first time since May 20th. In his most recent second-team game (September 2nd against Tohoku Rakuten Eagles), he pitched from the 4th inning as the second pitcher, becoming the winning pitcher with a performance of 5 innings, 101 pitches, 1 hit, 3 Walks, 7 strike outs, and 0 runs. Can he build the game as a starter and lead the team to a three-game winning streak? Meanwhile, in the lineup, keep an eye on Nevin, who produced his first timely hit since the June 28th game against Hokkaido Nippon-Ham in the previous match.

Text by Ryo Aritake