Preview: Chiba Lotte Marines at Saitama Seibu Lions

TOKOROZAWA, Japan (Interstat) — Two Pacific League teams seeking momentum will meet Friday night when the Chiba Lotte Marines visit the Saitama Seibu Lions at Seibu Dome.

Both clubs enter the series opener with identical 4-8 records, though the Lions (4-7-1) have a slight edge with one tie. Each is coming off a narrow road loss Thursday, with Lotte falling 2-1 in 10 innings at Orix and Seibu dropping a 2-0 decision at SoftBank.

The series is a rematch of the season’s opening set from late March, which the Marines took two games to one, including an 11-0 rout. The Lions won the most recent meeting 4-0 on March 29.

A key pitching matchup features right-handers looking to build on strong but unlucky recent outings. Lotte’s Yuji Nishino (0-2, 5.40 ERA) takes the mound after a quality start in his last appearance, allowing one earned run over five innings in Thursday’s loss to Orix. He will be opposed by Seibu’s Shinya Sugai (0-2, 3.75 ERA), who was brilliant in a hard-luck defeat Thursday, tossing six scoreless innings with just two hits allowed against SoftBank.

Both bullpens will be tested. Lotte relievers Shota Suzuki and Sam Long combined for two perfect innings with four strikeouts Thursday. Seibu’s Emmanuel Ramirez, however, surrendered two runs in his last inning of work.

Offensively, both teams have struggled for consistency. The Marines have scored three or fewer runs in seven of their last eight games. The Lions have been shut out twice in their last five contests.

According to Interstat, the Lions are a narrow favorite with a 53.6% probability to win. Their game simulator projects a 3-2 Seibu victory.

The game is scheduled for a 6 p.m. first pitch at Seibu Dome. The series continues through Sunday before both teams embark on new series next Tuesday.