On July 2nd at 18:00, a 15-round match between Hokkaido Nippon-Ham and Orix Buffaloes will be held on ES CON FIELD.

[Head-to-head Record] Hokkaido Nippon-Ham (3rd place) vs Orix Buffaloes (4th place) 9 wins, 5 losses

[Announced Starting Lineup]
Hokkaido Nippon-Ham: Kohei Arihara pitcher 6 games, 1 win, 5 losses, ERA 7.34
Orix Buffaloes: Kazuma Sato pitcher 4 games, 0 wins, 0 losses, ERA 3.00

Hokkaido Nippon-Ham 's start was Kohei Arihara pitcher, marking his first first-team appearance in about a month. In the May 30 game against The Giants, he gave up two homers early on and struggled with 6 hit 4 runs (earned runs 3) over 7 innings. After that, he continued to adjust in the farm team, and in his most recent appearance on June 24 against Hiroshima, although he was still not perfect with 5 runs (earned runs 4) over 5 innings, he showcased his true pitch and aimed for 100 career wins in NPB.

Orix Buffaloes Kazuma Sato pitcher will be promoted to mound for his first start of the season. This season, he has appeared in 4 games as a reliever, totaling 6 inning with a ERA of 3.00. In the farm league, he started on June 23 against Saitama Seibu Lions, pitching 7 innings with 5 hit 2 runs (earned runs 1) in a crucial pitch. Currently, the team is struggling with the absence of starters, so creating pitch for Sato pitcher is essential.

Text by Aoi Nemoto