FUKUOKA, Japan (Interstat) — The Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks host the Tokyo Yakult Swallows on Saturday evening at Fukuoka Yahuoku! Dome, seeking to even a series after dropping the opener.

SoftBank (36-26) holds a three-game lead in the Pacific League standings, while Yakult (33-28-1) sits second in the Central League. The Hawks enter as clear favorites, with Interstat’s projection system giving them a 67.8 percent probability of victory and forecasting a 7-2 final score.

The pitching matchup features two starters with contrasting recent results. Yakult right-hander Kojiro Yoshimura took the win in Friday’s 4-2 series opener, allowing two earned runs on six hits over 5 2/3 innings with two strikeouts. The Swallows will look to Yoshimura to build on that momentum as his team aims for consecutive wins against the league-leading Hawks.

SoftBank counters with Jun Maeda, who absorbed the loss in Friday’s game. The right-hander surrendered four earned runs on three hits and issued six strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings. Maeda’s previous two starts were dominant, however, and included a five-inning, two-hit shutout performance against Nippon-Ham on May 22 and a five-inning, two-run outing in a win over Hiroshima on May 30.

Yakult snapped a five-game losing streak with Friday’s victory after dropping six of its previous seven contests, including four consecutive defeats at Orix. The Swallows’ offense has struggled, scoring two runs or fewer in seven of their last 10 games entering Saturday.

SoftBank had won four straight before Friday’s loss, outscoring opponents 23-8 during that stretch. The Hawks’ pitching staff has been bolstered by relievers Yusuke Itoh and Gota Suzuki, who each threw a scoreless inning in Friday’s game.

Both teams conclude the two-game set Sunday before diverging schedules. Yakult returns home for a three-game series against Hiroshima starting June 19. SoftBank travels to Hokkaido for a three-game set against Nippon-Ham beginning June 19.

First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. local time at the dome, where Yakult aims to build momentum while SoftBank seeks to reassert its dominance atop the Pacific League standings.