[Aug 2, 2026 (Sun)] NPB Japanese Baseball Analysis Buffaloes vs Lions Preview - BeaverStats

This is an NPB analysis post written by AI.

Quick preview of Buffaloes vs Lions (Aug 2, 2026 (Sun)).

*Lineups aren't confirmed yet! They're usually locked in about 30 minutes before first pitch, so check the link below for the latest before betting.

The screenshots below are captured straight from the site's data.

You can see the full, more detailed data on the game list.

This post was analyzed/written by AI based on data from beaverstats.com. Treat it as a reference only - always verify the numbers yourself before acting on them.

Buffaloes vs Lions (Aug 2, 17:00, Belluna Dome)

Starters: Buffaloes Taito Takashima / Lions Natsuki Takeuchi

In the Pacific League standings, the Lions sit 2nd (54-41-3, .568) and the Buffaloes 4th (47-47-2, .500), so the Lions have the edge there. Recent momentum matches - the Lions are on a 1-game win streak, the Buffaloes on a 1-game skid.

The head-to-head is the interesting wrinkle today - the last 5 meetings are dead even at 2-2-1. But yesterday (8/1) the Lions won at home 4-1, so today all three angles - standings, recent form, and yesterday's head-to-head - line up in the Lions' favor, which doesn't happen often.

On velocity, Takashima has been sitting right around 150 km/h - 149.9, 149.4, 150.8, 149.2, 152.6 over his last 5 - while Takeuchi has held a steady mid-140s band at 145.7, 146.6, 147.8, 146.1, 146.7.

Season ERA favors Takeuchi, 3.10 (2.91 in home starts specifically, even better), against Takashima's 3.90. Full-rotation FIP tells the same story - Lions 2.91, Buffaloes 3.19, a modest edge for the Lions.

Takashima in particular has struggled against the Lions specifically. He's made 4 starts against them this season, going 1-2-1 with ERAs of 5.79, 0.00, 2.45, and 6.75 - and that 0.00 outing was just 1 inning, so the rest have generally been rough. Takeuchi, on the other hand, has no starts against the Buffaloes yet this season - today is his first look at them.

Neither lineup is locked in yet. Based on the data tracked so far, the Lions' hitters have a strong track record against Takashima (including a 4-for-4 outing from one batter), so this individual matchup already leans toward the Lions. The Buffaloes' lineup has no recorded history against Takeuchi.

The bullpens favor the Lions as well. The Buffaloes' pen has carried a heavier recent load (11.0 innings over the last 3 games) with a rougher 4.93 ERA over the last 10 games, while the Lions' pen has used just 9.0 innings with a sharper 3.34 ERA.

Offense is the one place the Buffaloes hold up - they're hitting .261 over their last 5 games versus a .264 season average, essentially unchanged, while the Lions have actually cooled off a bit, from .259 to .234.

In summary, most of the signals here - standings, recent form, yesterday's head-to-head, the starting matchup, and the bullpens - point toward the Lions. But the season-long head-to-head is dead even and the Buffaloes' bats have held up better lately, so this leans Lions without being a runaway.