OSAKA, Japan (Interstat) — The Orix Buffaloes host the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles on Saturday evening at Osaka Dome in a Pacific League clash with the surging Buffaloes seeking to extend their hold on a winning record.

Orix enters the game at 37-32-1, while Rakuten lags at 26-42-1. The Buffaloes have won three of the last four meetings between the teams overall, though Rakuten earned a 3-0 shutout in the most recent matchup on May 14.

Rakuten will look to build on a 2-0 victory Thursday over Seibu, a game in which right-hander Kenta Maeda was dominant. Maeda tossed seven innings of three-hit shutout ball, striking out six. He is a pitcher to watch for the Golden Eagles, though he would be working on short rest if he appears again this weekend.

For Orix, reliever Taito Takashima is a key arm to monitor. Takashima took the loss Thursday against SoftBank, allowing two earned runs over 4 2/3 innings, but he had been effective in his previous two outings, including a scoreless inning against Seibu on June 19.

The Buffaloes have been inconsistent of late, splitting their last six games. They dropped two of three at SoftBank earlier this week. Rakuten has shown signs of life, winning three of its last four after a five-game losing streak.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a 5-4 victory for Orix, and the ELO system gives the Buffaloes a 61.60 percent probability of winning.

First pitch is set for 6 p.m. at the dome.