SAPPORO, Japan (Interstat) — The slumping Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters will look to secure their first win of the young season when they host the Chiba Lotte Marines on Tuesday evening at Sapporo Dome.

The Fighters (0-3) are coming off a three-game road sweep at the hands of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, while the Marines (2-1) took two of three from the Saitama Seibu Lions at home to open their campaign.

A key matchup will feature Lotte pitcher Kazuya Ojima, who is expected to play a significant role after a solid relief appearance on Sunday. In that 4-0 loss to Seibu, Ojima allowed one earned run on three hits over four innings, striking out three. He will be tasked with cooling off Nippon-Ham’s Kotaro Kiyomiya.

The Fighters’ first baseman has been a bright spot in the early going, homering in two of the team’s three losses. Kiyomiya went 1 for 4 with a solo home run in Sunday’s 8-4 defeat, driving in a run for the second consecutive game.

Despite their winless record, the Fighters are projected favorites. Interstat’s ELO system gives Nippon-Ham a 65.5% probability to win, with its game simulator predicting a 4-3 victory for the home side.

Lotte’s offense, which erupted for 11 runs in a win on Saturday before being shut out on Sunday, will aim to rediscover its rhythm against the Fighters’ pitching staff.

The game is the first of a two-game midweek series. The teams will meet again Wednesday before each embarks on a three-game weekend set against different opponents.