Preview: Buffaloes Host Marines in Osaka Dome Series Finale

OSAKA, Japan (Interstat) — The Orix Buffaloes look to complete a series sweep when they host the Chiba Lotte Marines in the finale of a three-game set Thursday evening at Osaka Dome.

The Buffaloes (6-5) have dominated the first two contests, winning 3-1 on Tuesday and 9-1 on Wednesday. Orix has outscored Lotte 12-2 in the series, extending the Marines’ (4-7) current losing streak to three games.

A player to watch for Orix is right-hander Anderson Espinoza, who delivered a strong start in Wednesday’s victory. Espinoza (2-0) allowed one run on six hits over seven innings, striking out four. In his previous start on April 1, he threw a complete-game, five-hit shutout against the Seibu Lions.

For the struggling Marines, reliever Naoya Masuda has been a recent bright spot. After a rough outing on March 29, Masuda has thrown three consecutive scoreless appearances, including a perfect inning with a strikeout in Wednesday’s loss.

Lotte’s offense has mustered just two runs total in its last three games. Designated hitter Gregory Polanco had two of the team’s six hits Wednesday, driving in its lone run.

The Buffaloes’ lineup broke out for nine runs on 12 hits Wednesday, with Yuma Mune and Ryoma Nishikawa each driving in two runs.

According to Interstat, the Buffaloes are projected favorites with a 61.7% probability to win. Their game simulator predicts a 5-3 Orix victory.

Following Thursday’s game, the Marines travel to face the Saitama Seibu Lions for a three-game series beginning Friday. The Buffaloes hit the road to open a series against the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles on Friday.