TOKOROZAWA, Japan (Interstat) — The Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters look to rebound from a tough loss when they visit the Saitama Seibu Lions for the second game of their series Friday night at Seibu Dome.

The Fighters (78-57-3) saw a late lead evaporate in a 5-4 loss to the Lions (61-71-4) on Thursday. Despite a strong start from pitcher Koki Kitayama, who tossed 6 2/3 scoreless innings with eight strikeouts, and home runs from Kotaro Kiyomiya and Tatsuki Mizuno, the Lions rallied for the win.

Nippon-Ham has struggled recently, losing four of its last five games. The defeat Thursday snapped a three-game winning streak against Seibu in a season series that has been tightly contested. The teams have split their last 10 meetings.

The Lions ended a three-game skid with the victory. First baseman Tyler Nevin provided the key hit with a three-run homer in Thursday’s comeback.

Statistical projections favor the Fighters to even the series. Interstat’s game simulator predicts a 4-3 Nippon-Ham victory, while its ELO system gives the Fighters a 59.4% probability of winning.

Following Friday’s contest, the Fighters continue their road trip against the Chiba Lotte Marines on Saturday. The Lions will host the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks on Saturday.