On September 19th at 2:00 PM, the 22nd round match between Hokkaido Nippon-Ham and the Orix Buffaloes will be held at ES CON FIELD.

【Head-to-head record】Hokkaido Nippon-Ham (3rd) vs Orix Buffaloes (4th) 14 wins, 7 losses

【Probable Starters】
Hokkaido Nippon-Ham: Hiromi Ito pitcher 24 games, 9 wins, 9 losses, ERA 3.12
Orix Buffaloes: Espinoza pitcher 21 games, 12 wins (tied for 1st), 5 losses, ERA 2.68 (5th)

The starter for Hokkaido Nippon-Ham is pitcher Hiromi Ito, who is one win away from reaching double-digit win for the third consecutive year. In his previous appearance against Seibu Lions, he allowed 3 runs in 8 innings but did not receive a decision. Can he invite run support with a good tempo in his pitch this time? Additionally, on the 17th, the lineup saw Yuki Nomura step up to fill the void left by the absence of main slugger Reyes, performing well with 2 hit, 2 RBI, and 1 Home Run.

On the other hand, for the Orix Buffaloes, Espinoza will start. He currently has 12 win, tied for the most in the league, and is in a position where winning his first title since coming to Japan is well within reach. This will be his first appearance against Hokkaido Nippon-Ham since May, but in his previous match at ES CON FIELD, he was hit hard, allowing 6 runs and being pulled in the middle of the 3rd inning. He will want to be wary of the long ball and secure the win.

Text by Minagi Niwa