The first game of the "Nippon Life Interleague Series 2026" between Vantelin Dome Chunichi Rakuten Eagles 26th at 6 PM.

[Last season's head-to-head record] Chunichi vs. Tohoku Rakuten Eagles 2 wins, 1 loss

[Announced Starting Pitcher]
Chunichi: pitcher Marler has a record of 0 wins and 2 losses in 4 games, ERA of 3.55.
Tohoku Rakuten Eagles: pitcher Kosei Shoji 8 games, 4 wins, 4 losses, ERA 3.86

Tohoku Rakuten Eagles win their final game before the interleague series, ending their five-game losing streak. Currently, they sit in sixth place Pacific League with a record of 19 wins, 26 losses, and 1 tie in 46 games. They aim to bounce back and win the interleague championship for the first time in two years, since 2024.

pitcher 　Kosei Shoji got off to a great start with three consecutive wins to begin the season, but is currently on a two-game losing streak. In his last start, he gave up a season-high six runs to Hokkaido Nippon-Ham, and was pulled after just three innings, his shortest outing of the season. Can he overpower the Chunichi Dragons' lineup, whom he will be facing for the first time, and secure his first win in three starts?

​Itsuki Murabayashi has recorded hit in 11 consecutive games. So far, he is performing well with a batting average of .295 (6th Pacific League, 49 hit (5th), and 27 RBI (3rd). He is currently ranked 1st among short stop in the interim All-Star Game fan voting, and he will be looking to impress Central League fans with his excellent play.

Text by Ayako Kikuchi