On June 5 at 6:00 p.m., the first round of the "Nippon Seimei Central Japan-Pakistan Exchange Games 2026" will be played at Vantelin Dome between Chunichi and Saitama Seibu Lions.

Last season's results: Chunichi vs. Saitama Seibu Lions 1 win, 2 losses.

The first game of the season
Chunichi Yuya Yanagi pitcher 10 games, 4-1, ERA 2.11
Saitama Seibu Lions: Mitsunari Takahashi pitcher 6-2 in 8 games, ERA 1.21

Saitama Seibu Lions is in second place with a 6-1-1 record so far in the exchange games. Although starter Mitsunari Takahashi pitcher did not fare so well in his last start against Yokohama DeNA, going 4 runs (earned runs 3) in the middle of the 8th inning, he is riding a wave of five consecutive wins. Chunichi hit runs He pitched well in this game as well, and is looking for his league-leading seventh win in a row.

On the batting line, Masayuki Kuwahara The two players have shown a good matchup with a .319 batting average in the Vantelin Dome last season. He temporarily left the game with a calf injury, but returned to the lineup in the interleague game. He hopes to lead the team to its first-ever interleague championship, drawing on his experience from his time with Yokohama DeNA.

Text by Kainagi Niwa