SENDAI, Japan (Interstat) — The Orix Buffaloes visit the Rakuten Golden Eagles on Tuesday evening at Kleenex Stadium Miyagi, with rain and a game-time temperature of 64 degrees in the forecast.

Orix (22-14) enters with the best record in the Pacific League, while Rakuten (15-20) has struggled to find consistency. The Buffaloes won two of three in a home series against Rakuten in late March, but the Golden Eagles swept a three-game set in Sendai on April 10-12, outscoring Orix 15-4.

Right-hander Anderson Espinoza is a player to watch for Orix. In his most recent start Sunday against Nippon-Ham, Espinoza allowed two earned runs over six innings, striking out five in a 2-0 loss. Two starts earlier, on April 24, he threw seven innings of one-run ball with seven strikeouts. For the season, Espinoza has a 3-1 record with a 3.74 ERA over five appearances.

Rakuten’s bullpen features left-hander Seiryu Uchi, who has been effective in limited work. Over his last six outings, Uchi has allowed only one earned run in 7⅓ innings, striking out six. He threw two scoreless innings Sunday against Seibu but took the loss when Rakuten fell 6-1. Uchi has not allowed a hit in his last five appearances.

The most recent head-to-head matchup was Rakuten’s 4-0 shutout on April 12. In the March series at Orix, the Buffaloes won 6-0 and 5-4, while the Golden Eagles took the opener 10-0.

Orix has lost its last two games, both at home against Nippon-Ham, after winning four straight. Rakuten has dropped three in a row, all at Seibu, and has lost seven of its last 10.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a 5-2 Orix victory, with the Buffaloes holding a 54.3% win probability according to the Elo system.

Following Tuesday’s game, the teams meet again Thursday in Sendai. Orix then travels to Chiba Lotte for a three-game series, while Rakuten hosts Fukuoka SoftBank.