AP Sports Preview

Lions at Hawks

FUKUOKA, Japan (Interstat) — The Pacific League-leading Seibu Lions visit the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks on Thursday evening at Fukuoka Yahuoku! Dome, with the home team riding a wave of dominance in the season series.

Seibu (44-31-2) holds a one-game lead over SoftBank (43-29-1) in the standings, but the Hawks have outscored the Lions 17-0 in the last two meetings, including an 11-0 shutout Wednesday. SoftBank right-hander Yugo Maeda has been at the center of that success.

Maeda, a player to watch, is on a remarkable run. He tossed seven innings of three-hit, scoreless ball with five strikeouts in Wednesday’s win. Over his last four starts, all victories, he has allowed just one earned run in 26 innings, posting a 0.35 ERA with 25 strikeouts. The 26-year-old is 4-0 in that span and has not lost since May.

Seibu counter with right-hander Taiga Ueda, who has struggled recently. Ueda worked three innings in Wednesday’s loss, allowing two earned runs on three hits, and has surrendered runs in three of his last four appearances. He has a 5.40 ERA over his past 7 2/3 innings.

The Lions have lost five of their last six games and have been shut out in three of those defeats. Their offense managed just two hits Wednesday and has scored only three runs over the past four contests.

SoftBank, winners of three straight, have been bolstered by the return of slugger Kensuke Kondoh, who homered and drove in three runs Wednesday. The Hawks have won six of their last seven meetings with Seibu overall.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a 5-2 victory for SoftBank, and the Hawks carry a 65.3 percent win probability in the ELO system.

First pitch is at 6 p.m. local time.