Nippon-Ham 7, at Lotte 9

CHIBA, Japan (Interstat) — In a wild, back-and-forth Pacific League contest defined by a massive early inning and a dominant individual performance, the Chiba Lotte Marines outslugged the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters 9-7 on Wednesday evening at a damp Chiba Marine Stadium. The game, played before a crowd of 24,393, was called after eight innings due to unplayable field conditions following persistent rain, handing Lotte a crucial victory that defied pregame projections. Interstat’s game simulator had heavily favored the Fighters, projecting a 5-1 win and giving Nippon-Ham a 63.2% probability of victory. Instead, the Marines’ offense, spearheaded by a historic night… Read more...