This article is part of our Dream11 Fantasy NPB series.
Hiroshima Toyo Carp (12-19-4) at Yomiuri Giants (22-11-2)
Sunday, August 2nd, 1:00 AM EDT
Projected Starters
Yomiuri Giants: RHP Toshiki Sakurai (2-1, 3.73 ERA)
Hiroshima Toyo Carp: RHP Atsushi Endoh (1-1, 5.48 ERA)
Game Preview
The Giants and the Carp are riding opposite runs of form ahead of this NPB matchup, as the Giants have won their last two and the Carp dropped their past two. As such, the Giants will go for the series sweep Sunday and should confident about their chances following Saturday's impressive 11-3 win. The Giants are in first place of the Central League standings with a 22-11-2 record, while the Carp are dead last with a 12-19-4 record. The pitching matchup for this contest will feature two righties, as Toshiki Sakurai will get the nod for the Giants and Atsushi Endoh will start for the Carp. The numbers lean towards Yomiuri's starter, though, as he owns a better ERA compared to Hiroshima's hurler (3.73 to 5.48). Plus, the Giants have a superior offense and that should make things easier for Sakurai.
Injuries
Rubby De La Rosa - Out - Abdomen
7/7 1:49 AM IST - De La Rosa was removed from the Giants' active roster Monday due to a left abdominal muscle strain, NikkanSports.com reports. De La Rosa was off to a hot start in his first full season in NPB, notching four saves and allowing no runs in his five appearances with the club. He'll most likely be down for at least a few
Hiroshima Toyo Carp (12-19-4) at Yomiuri Giants (22-11-2)
Sunday, August 2nd, 1:00 AM EDT
Projected Starters
Yomiuri Giants: RHP Toshiki Sakurai (2-1, 3.73 ERA)
Hiroshima Toyo Carp: RHP Atsushi Endoh (1-1, 5.48 ERA)
Game Preview
The Giants and the Carp are riding opposite runs of form ahead of this NPB matchup, as the Giants have won their last two and the Carp dropped their past two. As such, the Giants will go for the series sweep Sunday and should confident about their chances following Saturday's impressive 11-3 win. The Giants are in first place of the Central League standings with a 22-11-2 record, while the Carp are dead last with a 12-19-4 record. The pitching matchup for this contest will feature two righties, as Toshiki Sakurai will get the nod for the Giants and Atsushi Endoh will start for the Carp. The numbers lean towards Yomiuri's starter, though, as he owns a better ERA compared to Hiroshima's hurler (3.73 to 5.48). Plus, the Giants have a superior offense and that should make things easier for Sakurai.
Injuries
Rubby De La Rosa - Out - Abdomen
7/7 1:49 AM IST - De La Rosa was removed from the Giants' active roster Monday due to a left abdominal muscle strain, NikkanSports.com reports. De La Rosa was off to a hot start in his first full season in NPB, notching four saves and allowing no runs in his five appearances with the club. He'll most likely be down for at least a few days with the injury before the Giants are able to pinpoint a target date for his return.
Seiji Kobayashi - Out - Forearm
6/23 2:14 PM IST - Kobayashi will miss 3-to-4 weeks with a fractured left forearm, according to sponichi.co.jp. Kobayashi started the Giants' first and third games behind the plate, but he will not take the field again until sometime in July. Ginjiro Sumitani and Takumi Oshiro are in line to share the catching duties for the Giants until Kobayashi returns.
Kazuto Taguchi - Out - Undisclosed
7/5 9:44 AM IST - Taguchi was removed from the Giants' first-team roster Sunday. Taguchi was pulled from Saturday's start against the Dragons after three scoreless innings due to an apparent injury, and it appears he may miss some time. The specifics remain unclear, but any absence could be significant since he has a 2.08 ERA this season.
Kota Yamashita - Out - Hand
7/9 4:36 AM IST - Yamashita, who has been sidelined all season with a broken right hand, was able to complete some on-field activities Wednesday, Sponichi.co.jp reports. The 19-year-old outfielder/first baseman only has 13 career NPB plate appearances to his name, but manager Tatsunori Hara suggested Yamashita could be a candidate for an everyday role before he sustained the injury shortly before Opening Day. Yamashita was at least fortunate that the injury was to his non-throwing hand, so he may have a shorter recovery timeline than one normally associated with a fracture. He was able to hit off the tee and play catch Wednesday, so expect him to ramp up his activities in the weeks to come.
Yomiuri Giants Expected Lineup
SP - Toshiki Sakurai
Hiroshima Toyo Carp Expected Lineup
SP - Atsushi Endoh
1. Jose Pirela
4. Seiya Suzuki
Top Picks
Kazuma Okamoto, Giants: Okamoto has been one of the most consistent hitters in the Giants roster this season, and he has racked up 13 homers with 33 RBI in 2020. As if that wasn't enough, he has also done that while hitting .302 with a .384 on-base percentage.
Gerardo Parra, Giants: Parra only has three homers, but he has been hitting the ball consistently all season long. The outfielder, who has plenty of MLB experience, is hitting .302 with a .384 on-base percentage.
Seiya Suzuki, Carp: Suzuki is the Carp's biggest offensive threat ahead of this tough matchup, and the numbers back him up. He is hitting for .341 with nine home runs and 27 RBI in 153 plate appearances.
Yoshihiro Maru, Giants: Maru has eight homers with 26 RBI in 121 at-bats this season, and he has also hit for a decent average (.256) and an above-average on-base percentage (.353).
Captaincy Options
Dream11 Team
P – Toshiki Sakurai
C – Takumi Ohshiro
IF – Kazuma Okamoto (C)
IF – Hayato Sakamoto
IF – Tomohiro Abe
OF – Kouki Ugusa
OF – Yoshihiro Maru
OF – Seiya Suzuki
OF – Gerardo Parra (VC)
