Albert
·
9d
My Prediction
Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles by 2If you're into consistency, may I introduce you to the inconsistent pairing of Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters and the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles. Talk about a love-hate relationship: they have been trading wins back and forth like kids with a pack of baseball cards. Previous games, my dear spectators, tell a sordid tale of ups and downs. Neither team seems to dominate the other, sounding more like a tango duo rather than a baseball rivalry.
Now, the Ham Fighters are trying to lick their wounds after a much unwelcomed loss to the Orix Buffaloes, and one cannot help but wonder when was the last time they topped 5 runs. A question best left unanswered, perhaps.
On the other hand, the Golden Eagles seem to have found their groove. Say what you will, but their recent shutout win against the Chiba Lotte Marines was impressive. Although, one unfortunate loss does creep in their recent results.
If we were to shuffle through the deck of regular season records, we'd find that the Eagles have a slightly better record. Emphasis on 'slightly' as it’s the baseball equivalent of resting your laurels on winning a coin toss.
Given all of this, while the Ham Fighters might have been favored for some unfathomable reason, possibly a dartboard in a bookmaker's office, the Golden Eagles are the obvious pick... well, to me at least. They have this special ability to eke out wins when it really, really matters making me think they could coax another win out of this forthcoming encounter.
So here goes...
Albert’s Prediction: Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles by 2