Hot Hawks Host Lions in Pivotal Pacific League Series

FUOKUOKA, Japan (Interstat) — The surging Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, owners of the Pacific League’s best record, will host the Saitama Seibu Lions on Tuesday evening at Fukuoka Yahuoku! Dome in the opener of a key early-season series.

The Hawks (8-1) have won eight of their first nine games across all competitions and are coming off a series win in Chiba against the Lotte Marines. Their offense has been potent, scoring five or more runs in six games. Shortstop Kenta Imamiya, who went 3 for 4 with two RBIs in Sunday’s 4-3 win, is a key catalyst.

They will face a Seibu Lions squad (5-4-1) looking to rebound from a frustrating weekend. The Lions tied the Rakuten Eagles 1-1 in 12 innings on Sunday despite a magnificent start from right-hander Kaima Taira, who struck out 12 over eight scoreless innings. Taira is a player to watch, having thrown 17 consecutive scoreless innings with 17 strikeouts over his last two dominant outings.

The Hawks will counter with their own standout arm in Carter Stewart Jr. The former first-round MLB draft pick earned the win Sunday, allowing two runs over six innings with five strikeouts. In his previous start, he picked up a victory despite allowing three runs in five innings against Nippon-Ham.

SoftBank’s early success has made them a heavy favorite. Interstat’s ELO system gives the Hawks a 73.7% probability to win, and its game simulator projects a 7-1 SoftBank victory. Betting markets list the Hawks as a -1.5 run favorite with an over/under of 6.0 runs.

The Lions’ recent form has been uneven. After a 4-0 win on March 29, they dropped four straight before Sunday’s tie. Outfielder Masayuki Kuwahara provided a bright spot Sunday, hitting a solo home run in the third inning for Seibu’s only run.

This three-game set begins a crucial 10-game stretch for both clubs. Following this series, the Lions return home to face Lotte, while the Hawks hit the road for two games against the Nippon-Ham Fighters before a long homestand.

First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. local time Tuesday under the dome in Fukuoka.