Preview: Marines at Lions, Saturday, April 11, 2026

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

The Marines (5-8) evened the series with a 6-3 victory on Friday. The Lions (4-8-1) have lost three of their last four.

A key matchup will feature Lotte’s Tokito Kawamura, who earned the win Friday with six strong innings, allowing one earned run on four hits with five strikeouts. He has been a bright spot for a Marines squad that has struggled offensively, scoring three or fewer runs in seven of their last ten games.

Seibu will counter with Yutaro Watanabe, who took the loss Friday despite a quality start, yielding two earned runs over 6 2/3 innings. Watanabe has been solid in two outings against Lotte this season but is 0-3 overall with a 4.26 ERA.

The series has been defined by pitching and timely hits. Three of the four meetings have been decided by three runs or fewer, including two shutouts. Gregory Polanco, who drove in two runs Friday, will be relied upon to spark the Lotte offense again.

According to Interstat, the Lions are narrow favorites with a 52.7% probability to win. Their game simulator projects a 3-1 Seibu victory.

Both clubs will look to gain ground in the early standings before embarking on extended road trips next week. Lotte begins a three-game set at Tohoku Rakuten on April 17, while Seibu starts a trip to Orix on April 14.

First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. local time.