Preview: Chiba Lotte Marines at Orix Buffaloes

OSAKA, Japan (Interstat) — The Orix Buffaloes will look to secure a series victory when they host the Chiba Lotte Marines in the second game of a three-game set Wednesday evening at Osaka Dome.

Both Pacific League clubs enter with identical 5-5 records over their last 10 games, but Orix holds a slight edge in the early standings at 5-5 overall. Lotte sits just below at 4-6. The Buffaloes took the series opener 3-1 on Tuesday.

A quick rematch on the mound is the headline, as both teams’ most effective pitchers from that contest are scheduled to start. Lotte’s Yuto Kimura (0-1, 5.40 ERA) delivered a quality start in the loss, allowing one earned run on four hits over six innings. He will seek a similar performance after a rocky outing on March 31 where he surrendered six earned runs to Nippon-Ham.

He will be opposed by Orix’s Taito Takashima (1-1, 3.86 ERA), who earned the win Tuesday with 5 1/3 innings of one-run ball, striking out six. His season began with a shorter, less effective start against Seibu on March 31.

The Marines’ offense has struggled recently, scoring three or fewer runs in six of their last seven games, including the past four consecutively. Their bullpen, however, was bolstered by Koshiro Sakamoto’s scoreless relief Tuesday.

Orix’s bullpen was dominant in the opener, with Andres Machado and Ren Mukunoki combining for two hitless innings and five strikeouts to close the door. The Buffaloes have shown more offensive consistency, plating at least three runs in seven of their 10 games.

According to Interstat, the Buffaloes are projected favorites with a 60.9% probability to win. The game simulator predicts a 4-3 Orix victory.

Following Wednesday’s contest, the series concludes Thursday in Osaka before both clubs embark on road trips. Lotte travels to face the Saitama Seibu Lions for three games beginning Friday, while Orix heads east for a three-game series against the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles starting the same day.