CHIBA, Japan (Interstat) — The Nippon-Ham Fighters look to continue their recent dominance over the Chiba Lotte Marines when the Pacific League rivals open a three-game series Tuesday evening at Chiba Marine Stadium.

First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. local time under cloudy skies with a temperature near 67 degrees Fahrenheit (19 Celsius).

The Fighters (7-7) have won two of three meetings against the Marines (5-10) this season, including a 7-1 victory on April 2. Nippon-Ham has dropped two straight overall, however, falling 11-7 to the SoftBank Hawks on Sunday.

A key bat for the visitors is Yuki Nomura. The outfielder is coming off a two-hit, three-RBI performance that included a home run in Sunday’s loss. He also homered and drove in three runs against Lotte on April 2.

The Marines, struggling near the bottom of the standings, are coming off a tough 2-1, 10-inning loss to the Seibu Lions on Sunday. A bright spot was pitcher Koshiro Hiroike, who delivered seven scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and striking out eight.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a 5-1 victory for the Fighters, giving Nippon-Ham a 62.7% probability to win.

Following Tuesday’s contest, the series continues Wednesday and Thursday in Chiba before both clubs embark on new series Friday.