June 5th Yomiuri vs Chiba Lotte NPB Live Broadcast, Sports Analysis
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The Yomiuri Giants, who secured a big win with an explosive batting, will have Hottah Kenshin (3 wins, 1 loss, 1.26 ERA) challenging for his 4th win of the season. In the home game against SoftBank on the 29th, Hottah demonstrated excellent pitching by allowing no runs over 5.2 innings with 5 hits. Playing at home means Hottah is expected to pitch for 5 to 6 innings. In the previous game, the Yomiuri batting lineup crushed Chiba Lotte's pitching staff, scoring a total of 18 runs including Fernandez's 3-run home run and a remarkable 11 runs just in the bottom of the 3rd inning. The bullpen, which held the opponents scoreless for 3 innings, welcomed the rest for their main pitchers.
Chiba Lotte Marines, who suffered a heavy defeat due to the starter's instability, will have Taneichi Atsuki (3 wins, 3 losses, 2.98 ERA) challenging for his 4th win of the season. In the away game against Yakult on the 29th, he allowed 3 runs over 6 innings, showing a rather shaky start in his first interleague match of the season. Considering his pitching last year, his chances of bouncing back are high if he pitches in a dome. In the previous game, Chiba Lotte's batting lineup only managed 2 runs early against Yamazaki Iori and showed significantly decreased concentration after the 3rd inning. A fresh mindset is needed. After Ojima's early exit, the bullpen allowed 7 runs over 6 innings, only confirming Yoshida Ryo's limitations.
The concentration shown by Yomiuri's batting lineup in this interleague series is remarkable. With their current hitting, they are expected to perform well against Taneichi. Furthermore, Hottah is a pitcher capable of enduring 5 to 6 innings at home, and the bullpen is stabilizing. While explosive firepower may be hard to expect, they will score the necessary runs for victory. The Yomiuri Giants, superior in overall strength, are closer to winning.
Predicted score: 4-2 Yomiuri victory
Win/Loss: Yomiuri victory
Handicap: Chiba Lotte victory
Over/Under: Over