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OSAKA, Japan (Interstat) — Right-handers Hiromi Itoh and Anderson Espinoza will face off for the second time in three days Saturday night when the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters visit the Orix Buffaloes at Osaka Dome.

First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.

Orix (14-9) leads the Pacific League standings. Nippon Ham (11-13) sits fifth.

Itoh (1-3, 3.86 ERA) lasted eight innings Friday but took the loss as the Buffaloes won 3-2. He allowed seven hits and three earned runs while striking out seven. Itoh’s season includes a quality start against Orix on April 3, when he threw six shutout innings in a 12-3 victory.

Espinoza (4-0, 1.86 ERA) earned the win Friday, allowing one earned run over seven innings with seven strikeouts. He has won all four starts this season and has not allowed more than one earned run in any outing.

The series continues a stretch of 13 meetings between the clubs through May 8.

Orix holds a 3-1 edge in the season series. The Buffaloes swept a three-game set in Sapporo on April 3-5, though Nippon Ham won the opener 12-3 before dropping the next two. After Friday’s win, Orix has taken three of four.

Nippon Ham enters having lost four of five. The Fighters fell 3-2 to the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles on Thursday.

Orix has won four of six. The Buffaloes split a two-game set at Chiba Lotte on Tuesday and Wednesday before Friday’s victory.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a 5-4 Orix win. The ELO system gives Nippon Ham a 50.30% probability of victory. Nippon Ham is a +1.5 pregame favorite. The over/under is 7.0.

Following Saturday’s game, the teams meet again Sunday at Osaka Dome. Nippon Ham then visits the Saitama Seibu Lions for three games starting Tuesday. Orix hosts the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks for three games beginning Tuesday.

The clubs resume their series May 1-3 in Sapporo.