On September 25th from 18:00, the 24th game between Orix Buffaloes and Fukuoka Softbank will be held at Kyocera Dome Osaka.

【Match Record】Orix Buffaloes (4th) vs Fukuoka Softbank (1st) 10 wins, 13 losses

【Announced Starters】
Orix Buffaloes: Mu-heng Chen pitcher 7 games, 2 wins, 0 losses, ERA 1.17 (Farm team)
Fukuoka Softbank: pitcher 20 games, 11 wins, 3 losses, ERA 2.91

Orix Buffaloes is scheduled to have a retirement ceremony for Yoshihisa Hirano pitcher after the game. The legend, who recorded a combined 205H and 258S in Japan and the US across 702 NPB games and 150 MLB games, will put an end to his 21-year professional career. The starter for this special day is Mu-heng Chen pitcher, making his professional debut and first start. Having joined as a developmental player from Taiwan, he achieved good results in the farm team this season, his second year in Japan, and earned a standard contract in July.

On the other side, Fukuoka Softbank will start Haru Matsumoto pitcher. In his previous appearance on the 17th, he also pitched at Kyocera Dome Osaka, setting up the game with 5 innings and 1 runs, becoming the win pitcher of the championship-deciding game. He aims to lead the team to win again. In the lineup, Ryoya Kurihara leads the league with 39 Home Run and 115 RBI, holding a significant lead over second place. If he reaches 40 Home Run, he will be the first in the club to do so since Nobuhiko Matsunaka and Julio Zuleta in 2005, 21 years ago.

Text by Minagi Niwa