AP Sports Preview

YOKOHAMA, Japan (Interstat) — The Yomiuri Giants visit the Yokohama BayStars on Saturday evening at Yokohama Stadium in a pivotal early-season Central League matchup, with both teams separated by a half-game in the standings.

First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. under cloudy skies with temperatures around 61 degrees Fahrenheit.

Yomiuri (12-10) enters on a sour note after dropping a 2-1, 11-inning decision to Yokohama on Friday. The Giants have lost two of their last three but remain in the thick of the division race. Yokohama (11-10) has won three of its last four, including Friday’s extra-inning thriller.

Saturday’s game features a rematch of pitchers who squared off in that series opener, though neither factored into the decision.

Yomiuri right-hander Masahiro Tanaka is expected to start. In Friday’s loss, Tanaka allowed eight hits and no earned runs over 6 2/3 innings with three strikeouts, exiting with the game tied 1-1. In his last three outings, Tanaka has posted a 1.45 ERA across 19 1/3 innings, with wins against Hanshin on April 16 and Hiroshima on April 8. He has limited opponents to two earned runs or fewer in each of those starts.

For Yokohama, right-hander Kentaro Taira is scheduled to take the mound. Taira earned the win Friday, allowing four hits and one earned run over 6 2/3 innings with four strikeouts. He has been dominant in his last two starts, surrendering a combined two earned runs across 12 2/3 innings. Taira also tossed a scoreless inning of relief against Hiroshima on April 12.

The BayStars won three of the four head-to-head meetings earlier this month, but the Giants took two of three at home from April 3-5. Friday’s loss was Yomiuri’s third in four games against Yokohama this season.

According to Interstat’s game simulator, the projected final score is Yomiuri 6, Yokohama 5. Interstat’s ELO system gives Yokohama a 55.4% probability to win, though the Giants have been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus-1.5. The over/under is set at 7.0 runs.

Yomiuri’s offense has been inconsistent, scoring two runs or fewer in four of its last six games. Yokohama’s lineup has been more productive, plating at least five runs in five of its last seven contests.

The Giants will visit Nagoya to face Hanshin on May 1 after the series concludes. The BayStars travel to Chunichi on April 28.

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