Preview: Saitama Seibu Lions at Orix Buffaloes

OSAKA, Japan (Interstat) — The Orix Buffaloes look to continue their recent dominance over the Saitama Seibu Lions when the Pacific League rivals open a three-game series Tuesday night at Osaka Dome.

The Buffaloes (7-7) have won two of three against the Lions (6-8-1) this season, outscoring Seibu 14-8 in those contests, including a 7-3 victory in their most recent meeting on April 2. Orix, however, enters on a three-game skid after being swept over the weekend by the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles.

Seibu arrives with momentum after taking two of three from the Chiba Lotte Marines, capped by a 2-1, 10-inning win on Sunday.

The pitching matchup features a stark contrast in recent form. Seibu’s Kaima Taira has been brilliant, posting a 3-0 record with a 0.00 ERA over his last three starts. The right-hander has allowed just 12 hits and struck out 23 over 24 innings, including a nine-inning shutout on March 29. He tossed seven scoreless innings in his last outing against Lotte.

Orix will counter with Sean Hjelle, who seeks to reverse his fortunes. The right-hander has lost his last two starts, allowing three earned runs over 12 innings against Rakuten and the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters.

According to Interstat, Orix holds a 60.40 percent probability to win, with a projected final score of Buffaloes 5, Lions 3.

The series continues Wednesday and Thursday in Osaka before both clubs embark on road trips. Seibu heads to Sapporo to face the Fighters, while Orix travels to Fukuoka to meet the SoftBank Hawks.