OSAKA, Japan (Interstat) — Two Pacific League clubs seeking consistency will meet Tuesday when the Chiba Lotte Marines visit the Orix Buffaloes at Osaka Dome.

Both teams enter the evening contest with identical 4-5 records across all competitions. The series opener kicks off a crucial three-game set for clubs looking to gain early footing in the standings.

The Marines arrive after a tough 4-3 loss to the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks on Sunday. A bright spot was reliever Koshiro Hiroike, who delivered 3 2/3 scoreless innings. Hiroike has not allowed an earned run in his last two appearances, spanning 5 1/3 innings, and will be a key arm to watch out of the Lotte bullpen. Outfielder Kyota Fujiwara provided the pop in the loss, hitting a solo home run.

Orix also looks to rebound from a Sunday defeat, falling 8-2 to the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters. Starter Sean Hjelle turned in a quality start in that game, allowing two earned runs over six innings with five strikeouts. The right-hander has been a steady presence for the Buffaloes and will be a player to watch on the mound.

Despite the even records, projections favor the home side. Interstat’s game simulator predicts a 4-3 Orix victory, and its ELO system gives the Buffaloes a 60.4% probability to win. However, sportsbooks have installed Lotte as a slight pregame favorite with a spread of -1.5. The over/under for the contest is set at 6.5 runs.

The matchup begins a three-day series between the teams before both embark on road trips. Lotte will head to Saitama to face the Seibu Lions starting Friday, while Orix travels to face the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles.