Preview: Swallows at Hawks

FUKUOKA, Japan (Interstat) — The Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks host the Tokyo Yakult Swallows on Friday, June 12, 2026, at Fukuoka Yahuoku! Dome in the opener of a three-game interleague series. First pitch is scheduled for the evening.

SoftBank (36-25) enters the game surging, having won seven of its last eight contests. The Hawks boast the best record in the Pacific League and are coming off a 3-2 victory over the Hanshin Tigers on Thursday. Right-hander Carter Stewart Jr. earned the win in that outing, tossing 5 2/3 innings, allowing two earned runs on seven hits with eight strikeouts. He has won his past two starts and owns a 3-1 record over his last four appearances.

Yakult (32-28-1) arrives in a sharp downturn, having dropped six of its last eight games. The Swallows lost 4-2 at Orix on Thursday, managing just six hits. The Central League club looks to reverse course behind a bullpen that has been relatively steady. Reliever Yu Hirosawa has been a bright spot, throwing 1 2/3 scoreless innings with two strikeouts in Thursday’s loss. Over his last five appearances, Hirosawa has allowed one earned run over 5 1/3 innings with seven strikeouts.

Friday’s pitching matchup has not been officially announced, but SoftBank’s Stewart is expected to take the mound on normal rest. The right-hander has been effective this season, striking out eight or more batters in three of his last four outings.

The Interstat game simulator projects a 7-2 victory for the Hawks, and the ELO system gives SoftBank a 68.5 percent probability to win.

The series continues Saturday and Sunday before both teams resume their regular-season schedules. Yakult returns home June 19 to host Hiroshima, while SoftBank travels to Hokkaido to face Nippon-Ham on the same date.