Preview: Hawks at Fighters, Saturday, April 11, 2026

SAPPORO, Japan (Interstat) — Two Pacific League contenders riding winning streaks will clash Saturday evening when the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks visit the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters at Sapporo Dome.

The Hawks (8-4) have won two straight, including a 2-0 shutout of the Seibu Lions on Thursday behind a dominant outing from right-hander Ryosuke Ohtsu. The Fighters (7-5) have also won two consecutive games, taking a series from the Rakuten Eagles.

Ohtsu is a key player to watch for SoftBank. He is coming off a masterful performance against Seibu, allowing just one hit over seven scoreless innings with four strikeouts. In his prior start on April 2 at Rakuten, he took a loss despite a quality start, going seven innings and allowing three earned runs.

For the Fighters, right-hander Takayuki Katoh has been sharp. He earned a win on April 9 at Rakuten, pitching into the sixth inning while allowing one earned run. On April 2, he threw six shutout innings against the Lotte Marines in a victory.

The Hawks have had the Fighters’ number in recent meetings, sweeping a three-game series from March 27-29 in Fukuoka by scores of 6-5, 6-4 and 8-4.

SoftBank’s offense is powered by Kensuke Kondoh, who hit a two-run homer in Thursday’s win. Nippon-Ham’s Kotaro Kiyomiya provides power, driving in three runs with a home run in the team’s most recent victory.

Statistical projections offer a split verdict. Interstat’s game simulator forecasts a 6-5 Fighters victory. However, the same service’s ELO rating system gives the Hawks a slight edge, projecting a 52.6% probability of a SoftBank win.

Following Saturday’s contest, the teams will conclude their series on Sunday before both embark on extended homestands.