8 de septiembre a las 13:00 NPB SoftBank: Seibu
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**◈Softbank**
Matsumoto Haru (1 win, 1 loss, 3.48 ERA) is making a bid for his second win of the season. After showing a scoreless inning against Nippon Ham in a home game on the 3rd, Matsumoto showcased a scoreless 5 innings in his first start. Although he has a strong home game record, it seems unlikely he will pitch the full 5 innings due to this being his first outing after 4 days of rest. In the previous game against Tatsuya Imai, the Softbank lineup scored 2 runs, including a solo home run by Taisei Makihara, but showed a terrible concentration with 10 hits, 8 walks, and just 1 score. The current Softbank is struggling to score when they send more than 2 runners. The bullpen, which ruined the game by allowing 2 earned runs in 2 innings, has seen its level drop to the worst in the league due to injuries to key pitchers.
**◈Seibu**
Takeuchi Natsuki (7 wins, 5 losses, 2.34 ERA) is aiming for his 8th win of the season. Takeuchi showed poor performance with 3 earned runs over 5.1 innings in a home game against Nippon Ham on the 1st, and he has been struggling significantly since mid-August. The only variable is that he has performed well against Softbank this year, allowing just 1 earned run over 16 innings, making him a Softbank killer. In the previous game, while targeting Softbank's bullpen, Seibu's lineup scored 3 runs, including a go-ahead solo home run by Shuta Tonosaki, and managed a more economical game with 4 hits and 3 runs. Maniya Nishikawa showed promise by scoring both the go-ahead and tying runs. The bullpen barely held on for 2 innings without allowing runs, but managing them in this game will be very difficult.
**◈Comment**
Since the major comeback loss against Nippon Ham, Softbank's performance has been quite erratic. However, since the batting performance has come alive, this might be the chance to break the Takeuchi jinx. I expect Matsumoto to pitch about 4 innings at home, and Softbank will fully utilize their bullpen in this game. Additionally, it will be very difficult for Seibu to use their strong pitchers. The Softbank Hawks, who have the upper hand in overall strength, are closer to victory.
**◈Recommended Betting**
[[Win/Loss]]: Softbank Win
[[Handicap]]: -2.5 Softbank Win
[[U/O]]: 6.5 Over