TOKYO (Interstat) — The Yomiuri Giants and Tokyo Yakult Swallows will continue their Central League rivalry Wednesday evening at Meiji Jingu Stadium in the second game of a brief two-game set.

The Giants (63-66-3) took the series opener 7-1 on Aug. 19 in their last trip to Tokyo. However, the Swallows (48-75-6) delivered a emphatic response in the teams’ most recent meeting, run-ruling the Giants 12-1 in eight innings on Sept. 4 at the Tokyo Dome.

Yomiuri arrives after a 3-0 loss to the Yokohama BayStars on Monday. Starter Masahiro Tanaka took the hard-luck loss, pitching six innings and allowing two earned runs on five hits with three strikeouts.

Yakult also enters following a loss, falling 6-2 to the Hiroshima Toyo Carp on Monday. Relievers Kazuto Taguchi, Taichi Ishiyama and Naofumi Kizawa provided scoreless innings out of the bullpen in the defeat.

The season series has been largely controlled by the Giants, who hold a 10-4-1 advantage in the 15 games played so far in 2025. The contests have often been lopsided, with seven games decided by four or more runs.

According to Interstat’s game simulator, Wednesday’s contest is projected to be a close one, with a final score of Yomiuri 4, Tokyo Yakult 3. The system’s ELO rating gives the Giants a 56.3 percent probability to win. Despite this, Yakult has been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of +1.5. The over/under for the game is set at 7.5 runs.

Following Wednesday’s game, the two teams will meet again Thursday at Meiji Jingu Stadium to conclude the series before both clubs embark on their final stretch of the regular season.