The 23rd game between Hokkaido Nippon-Ham and the Orix Orix Buffaloes will be held at ES CON FIELD on September 20th at 2 PM.

[Head-to-head record] Hokkaido Nippon-Ham (3rd place) vs. Orix Buffaloes (4th place): 14 wins, 8 losses

[Announced Starting Pitcher]
Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters: Kohei Arihara pitcher 15 games, 7 wins, 7 losses, 3.86 ERA
Orix Buffaloes: pitcher Yasuto Takashima, 21 games, 6 wins, 5 losses, ERA 4.47

Hokkaido Nippon-Ham third-round draft pick, rookie Ruan Ohtsuka, is definitely one to watch. While his batting average is currently .197, he showed his presence in the last game with a solo home run (his 6th of the season) that temporarily put the team ahead. With a strong lineup of infielder like Tatsuki Mizuno, Shu Yamagata, and Taiki Narama, the question is whether he can continue to impress both offensively and defensively.

On the other hand, Orix Buffaloes 's pitcher, Yasuto Takashima, will be taking the mound after nine days of rest. In his previous start (on the 10th against Saitama Seibu Lions), he gave up six runs in four innings and was the lose pitcher. This will be his first appearance at ES CON FIELD this season, so will he be able to get revenge for his last outing? In the batting lineup, Ryoto Kita Kida hit Home Run against opposing pitcher Kohei Arihara in their previous encounter.

Written by Yui Kayama