The ninth game between Chiba Lotte Marines and Hokkaido Nippon-Ham will be held at Zozo Marine Stadium on May 14th at 6 PM.

[Head-to-head record] Chiba Lotte Marines (6th place) vs. Hokkaido Nippon-Ham (4th place): 3 wins, 5 losses

[Announced Starting Pitcher]
Chiba Lotte Marines: pitcher Yuji Nishino 4 games, 0 wins, 2 losses, ERA 4.64
Hokkaido Nippon-Ham: Haruki Hosono pitcher 5 games, 1 win, 2 losses, ERA 2.34

Chiba Lotte Marines will start pitcher Yuji Nishino. In his last start against Orix Buffaloes on the 6th, he pitched well, allowing only 3 hit 2 runs in 6 innings, but was unable to get enough run support and was pitcher with lose. Can he deliver a win pitch and break their losing streak? On the other hand, the batting lineup is struggling, with Ryusei Terachi batting in the low .200s. He has a batting average of .267 against Hokkaido Nippon-Ham, including two Home Run. He will be looking to shine against his favored opponent.

Facing them is Hokkaido Nippon-Ham 's starting pitcher Haruki Hosono. He achieved no hitter in their first encounter this season, but in their previous matchup on April 16th, he gave up 3 runs in 5 innings. Among fielder, Reyes Home Run in 3 consecutive games. His batting average is .319, the best in the league, and it remains to be seen if his hitting prowess can propel the team up the standings.

Written by Kai Nagi Niwa