The 12th game of the series between the Saitama Seibu Lions and Hokkaido Nippon-Ham will be held at Belluna Dome on June 28th at 6 PM.

[Head-to-head record] Saitama Seibu Lions (1st place) vs. Hokkaido Nippon-Ham (3rd place): 6 wins, 5 losses

[Announced Starting Pitcher]
Saitama Seibu Lions: Yutaro Watanabe pitcher 11 games, 4 wins, 3 losses, 3.07 ERA
Hokkaido Nippon-Ham: pitcher Ren Fukushima 7 games, 2 wins, 2 losses, ERA 2.36

The Saitama Seibu Lions, aiming to win the series, will have pitcher Yutaro Watanabe take mound as their starter. He is currently on a three-game winning streak, having achieved quality starts in five consecutive games. This will be his first appearance at home, where he has yet to win in five games so far this season. Fans are hoping for a passionate performance that will excite them. In the batting lineup, Shuta Tonosaki will return to the first team on the 27th after back surgery. He has At Bat of 2 hit against pitcher Ren Fukushima who is also from Aomori Prefecture, in the five games they have played together.

Facing them is Hokkaido Nippon-Ham 's starting pitcher, Fukushima. He has been in good form, recording a Quality Start in all three interleague games. This will be his first start at Belluna Dome since May 1, 2024, when he pitched 5 innings, throwing 77 pitches, allowing 5 hit or hit Hit by Pitch strike out 4, and runs 1 run. Despite it being only his second professional start, he showed glimpses of his great potential by giving up only one runs Home Run. Will he be able to deliver a good performance in his first mound since the league season resumed, bringing the team's record against them back to even?

Written by Ao Yokoyama