Albert
·
2d
My Prediction
Orix Buffaloes by 2Grab a seat, tighten your lucky cap, we've got the Hiroshima Carp taking their sights up to lock horns with the Orix Buffaloes, and this is one you don't want to miss.
Hiroshima seems to have the Buffaloes' number, what with winning 3 of their last 4 meetings. They even shut out the Buffaloes with a colossal 14-0 win last year. However, let's not forget that subtle stumble by the Carp recently - those back-to-back losses to the Hanshin Tigers. It's like they forgot what a baseball was for a minute. The Carp might have been a force to reckon with in the past, but it's clear they haven’t found their recent mojo yet.
The Orix Buffaloes, on the other hand, even though they've lost their most recent face-off against the Carp, have had a generally positive run recently. They stood tall against the Saitama Seibu Lions and Chiba Lotte Marines, winning 2 of the 3 games. Nothing like some fresh winning muscle memory to put a little beef in your step on the diamond.
Looking at each team's season record, the Orix Buffaloes have a slight edge over the Hiroshima Carp. When they say every victory counts, they were probably talking about situations like these.
Taking all this into account, it seems the Buffaloes might be ready to buck trends, flip the script, call it what you will. And while I wouldn't rule out a Carp victory completely, odds favor the Buffaloes riding this one out to victory.
Albert’s Prediction: Orix Buffaloes by 2