This article is part of our Dream11 Fantasy NPB series.
ORIX Buffaloes (5-11-2) vs Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters (7-9-2)
Friday, July 10th, 5:00 AM EDT
Projected Starters
RHP Tsubasa Sakakibara (0-0, 1.80 ERA) vs RHP Kohei Arihara (0-3, 5.40 ERA)
Game Preview
Both the Buffaloes and the Fighters are not exactly "contending" teams in the Pacific League, as both sit in the bottom half of the standings. That said, the Fighters look like the better team on paper thanks to their superior winning percentage and a stronger lineup. When it comes to the pitching duel, Tsubasa Sakakibara will start for the Buffaloes, while Kohei Arihara will grab the ball for the Fighters. Sakakibara has made just one start in 2020 and allowed one earned run off five hits and three walks while striking out four over five innings. Meanwhile, Arihara has lost his first three decisions but has delivered good sensations when looking at his peripheral stats. Despite an inflated 5.40 ERA, he has a strong 1.25 WHIP and also owns a 16:2 K:BB in 20 innings this year.
ORIX Buffaloes Expected Lineup:
1B – Takahiro Okada
DH – Aderlin Rodriguez
LF – Masataka Yoshida
RF – Adam Jones
3B – Keita Nakagawa
2B – Koji Ohshiro
C – Kenya Wakatsuki
SS – Ryoichi Adachi
CF – Shunta Gotoh
Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters Expected Lineup:
CF – Haruki Nishikawa
RF – Taishi Ohta
LF – Kensuke Kondoh
1B – Sho Nakata
DH – Po-Jung Wang
2B – Ryo Watanabe
SS – Kazunari Ishii
3B – Yuki Nomura
C – Shingo Usami
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