On September 6th from 13:00, the 23rd round match between Fukuoka Softbank and Saitama Seibu Lions will be held at MIZUHO PayPay Dome.

【Head-to-head record】Fukuoka Softbank (1st) vs. Saitama Seibu Lions (2nd) 12 wins, 10 losses

【Probable Starters】
Fukuoka Softbank: Taiga Kamichatani pitcher 32 games 8 wins 1 loss, ERA 2.59
Saitama Seibu Lions: Natsuki Takeuchi pitcher 19 games 10 wins (tied for 5th) 6 losses, ERA 2.77

The starter for Fukuoka Softbank is Taiga Kamichatani pitcher, who delivered a strong performance in his previous appearance (August 27th vs. Chiba Lotte Marines) with 6 innings, 94 pitches, 7 hits, no walks or Hit by Pitch, 9 strike outs, and 2 runs, earning his career-high 8th win. While he needs to be cautious of the long ball after giving up 4 Home Runs in his last two games, expectations are high for a pitch that leads the team to a three-game sweep of the series.

For the opposing Saitama Seibu Lions, Natsuki Takeuchi pitcher, who pitched well giving up 1 run in 8 innings during Takumi Kuriyama 's retirement game on August 30th, will take the mound. In August, he improved his form with 4 games, 3 wins, 1 loss, and an ERA of 1.61, matching the 10 wins he recorded in his rookie year. In this second appearance of the season in his hometown of Fukuoka, will he deliver a strong pitch to bring momentum to the team?

Text by So Yokoyama