On September 15th from 18:00, the 23rd round match between Tohoku Rakuten Eagles and Saitama Seibu Lions will be held at Rakuten Mobile Saikyo Park Miyagi.

【Match Record】Tohoku Rakuten Eagles (6th) vs. Saitama Seibu Lions (2nd) 7 wins, 14 losses, 1 draw

【Announced Starters】
Tohoku Rakuten Eagles: Tatsuki Ito pitcher 3 games, 2 wins, 0 losses, ERA 3.46
Saitama Seibu Lions: Ryosuke Moriwaki pitcher 20 games, 1 win, 1 loss, ERA 2.00

For Tohoku Rakuten Eagles, the draft 2nd pick rookie Tatsuki Ito pitcher will make his first start since the 1st. Last time, in his hometown of Akita against the Orix Buffaloes, he pitched well, allowing 0 runs on 4 hits with 8 strike outs over 6 innings. What kind of pitch will he show against the Saitama Seibu Lions, whom he faces for the first time? The team is currently struggling with a 7-game losing streak, but within that, Daisuke Nakashima, who serves as the leadoff hitter, has been fighting hard with a .393 batting average over the last 6 games.

On the other hand, for Saitama Seibu Lions, Ryosuke Moriwaki pitcher will head to his first starting mound in his 8th year as a pro. This season, having made a brilliant comeback from illness, he has appeared in 20 games in his first time with the first squad in three years, recording an ERA of 2.00 and 7 holds. He hopes to demonstrate the same consistent pitch as a starter. Also, in the relief squad, there are many situations where Wataru Matsumoto pitcher and Taishi Mameda pitcher are entrusted with multiple innings. Attention will also be on the management of how they connect the baton starting from Ryosuke Moriwaki pitcher.

Text by Minagi Niwa