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SAPPORO, Japan (Interstat) — The Orix Buffaloes and Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters conclude a three-game series Sunday evening at Sapporo Dome, with the first-place Buffaloes seeking to build momentum after a wild 10-9 victory Saturday.

Orix (18-11) holds a four-game lead in the Pacific League standings. Nippon-Ham (14-17) has lost four of its last five games, but the Fighters won the series opener 5-1 on Friday before squandering a lead Saturday.

Players to watch

Orix outfielder Keita Nakagawa enters Sunday’s game with mixed recent results. He went 2-for-5 with three RBIs in Saturday’s win but was held hitless in four at-bats during Friday’s loss. Over his last 10 games, Nakagawa has collected hits in four contests, including a 3-for-3 performance April 29 against SoftBank.

Nippon-Ham first baseman Kotaro Kiyomiya delivered a standout performance in Saturday’s loss, going 3-for-5 with a home run and two RBIs. The Fighters slugger has hits in six of his last nine games, though he went 0-for-3 in Friday’s victory.

Series history

The Buffaloes have won four of the last five meetings between the clubs, including three consecutive victories in Osaka last week. Before Saturday’s high-scoring affair, Orix held the Fighters to three runs or fewer in three straight games.

Nippon-Ham’s most productive stretch against Orix came April 3-5, when the Fighters outscored the Buffaloes 26-8 in a three-game sweep at Sapporo Dome.

Projections

Interstat’s game simulator projects a 6-4 Orix victory, though the analytics service’s ELO system gives Nippon-Ham a 54.90% probability to win. The discrepancy reflects the Fighters’ home-field advantage at Sapporo Dome, where they have performed better this season.

Upcoming schedules

Following Sunday’s game, Orix returns home for a three-game series against Chiba Lotte beginning Monday. The Buffaloes then host Nippon-Ham for another three-game set May 8-10.

Nippon-Ham travels to Tohoku Rakuten for three games starting Monday before heading to Orix for the May 8-10 rematch. The Fighters then visit Chiba Lotte from May 12-14.