On September 13th from 17:00, the 24th round match between Saitama Seibu Lions vs Hokkaido Nippon-Ham will be held at Belluna Dome.

【Head-to-head record】Saitama Seibu Lions (2nd) vs Hokkaido Nippon-Ham (3rd) 12 wins, 10 losses, 1 draw

【Probable Starters】
Saitama Seibu Lions: Natsuki Takeuchi pitcher 20 games, 11 wins (tied for 3rd), 6 losses, ERA 2.71
Hokkaido Nippon-Ham: Kohei Arihara pitcher 14 games, 6 wins, 7 losses, ERA 4.02

The starter for Saitama Seibu Lions is pitcher Natsuki Takeuchi, who is aiming for his league-leading 12th win. Since August, he has continued to deliver dominant pitch, recording a QS in all 5 starts, with 4 wins, 1 loss, and an ERA of 1.59. Furthermore, in two matchups against Hokkaido Nippon-Ham this season, he has an ERA of 0.75. Can he demonstrate this good compatibility and lead the team to a win? Additionally, the first-round rookie Taiga Kojima recorded 3 hit on the 12th. The last time he formed a battery with pitcher Takeuchi, he was dynamic with 4 hit and 4 RBI, including a Home Run.

Hokkaido Nippon-Ham looks to stop their losing streak with starter Kohei Arihara pitcher. In the game against Tohoku Rakuten Eagles on the 6th, although he earned his 6th win with 6 innings, 100 pitches, 5 hit, and 2 runs, he still has issues such as giving up runs in the first inning for three consecutive games. In the lineup, expectations are high for Tatsuki Mizuno, who served as the leadoff man yesterday for the first time in about three weeks. This month, he has recorded multiple hit four times, showing his good form with a monthly batting average of .387.

Text by Aoi Yokoyama