FUKUOKA, Japan (Interstat) — The Chiba Lotte Marines visit the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks on Friday evening at Fukuoka Yahuoku! Dome, with both teams seeking to build momentum in the Pacific League.

The Marines enter the game at 14-19, having lost three straight — all by shutout — in a series at Orix. SoftBank, at 17-16, dropped its most recent outing 10-2 at Seibu on Wednesday.

Friday’s matchup features a notable recent history between the clubs. Lotte has won the last two head-to-head meetings, both in Fukuoka: a 1-0 victory on April 26 and a 5-0 win on April 25. The Hawks, however, won two of three in Chiba earlier in April.

Yuji Nishino is a player to watch for Lotte. The right-hander pitched six innings, allowing three hits and two earned runs while striking out three in a 3-0 loss at Orix on May 6. In his previous outing, a 5-3 win over Rakuten on April 29, he threw 4 1/3 innings, allowing seven hits and two earned runs with three strikeouts.

For SoftBank, left-handed reliever Shuto Ogata has been used frequently. In his last appearance Wednesday at Seibu, he pitched one inning, allowing one hit and no earned runs with two strikeouts. Over his last four outings, Ogata has allowed just one earned run in 5 1/3 innings, striking out 11.

The pitching matchup and bullpen performance could be decisive. Lotte’s staff, led by Nishino, has been effective in recent games against SoftBank, limiting the Hawks to one run over the last 18 innings between the April 25-26 games.

SoftBank’s offense has been inconsistent. The Hawks scored six runs in a win at Seibu on May 5, but have been held to two runs or fewer in four of their last eight games overall.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a 4-3 Lotte victory, while the ELO system gives SoftBank a 69.50 percent probability to win.

The series continues Saturday and Sunday in Fukuoka. Lotte then returns home to host Nippon-Ham, while SoftBank hosts Seibu before traveling to Rakuten.