On May 28th at 6 PM, the third game of the "Nippon Life Interleague Series 2026" between the Yomiuri The Giants and Fukuoka Softbank will be held at Tokyo Dome.

[Head-to-head record] The Giants (3rd in the Central League) vs. Fukuoka Softbank (3rd in the Pacific League): 1 win, 1 loss

[Announced Starting Pitcher]
The Giants: Masahiro Tanaka (pitcher 7 games, 3 wins, 2 losses, 2.72 ERA
Fukuoka Softbank: pitcher C. Stewart Jr. 5 games, 2 wins, 3 losses, ERA 6.86

pitcher C. Stewart Jr., who is currently on a three-game losing streak, was pulled from his last start (on the 16th against Tohoku Rakuten Eagles) after 4.1 innings, having given up 6 hit 3 Walk strike out 1, and allowing 3 runs. This will be his first matchup against The Giants since coming to Japan. Despite his three-game losing streak, he will be looking to pitch well and secure his first win since April 5th.

Furthermore, Keita Yamamoto hit a go-ahead RBI single on the 27th, extending his hitting hit to six games. Since being promoted to the first team on May 12th, he has appeared in nine games and is in good form with a batting average of .321. Will he be able to provide run support for starting pitcher C. Stewart Jr. in order to win the series?

Text by Ayako Kikuchi