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SAPPORO, Japan (Interstat) — The Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters host the Saitama Seibu Lions on Sunday evening at Sapporo Dome in a crucial Pacific League matchup, with the Fighters looking to extend their series win and build on a slim lead in the standings.

Nippon-Ham enters play Sunday with a 48-37-2 record, holding a half-game edge over the 46-35-3 Lions in what has become a tightly contested race for the division lead. The Fighters took the opener of this three-game set Saturday with an 8-2 victory, snapping a brief two-game slide.

Right-hander Sachiya Yamasaki is the probable starter for Nippon-Ham and has been a key contributor to the team’s recent success. In his last outing Saturday against these same Lions, Yamasaki worked five innings, allowing seven hits and two earned runs while striking out three. That performance followed a strong start June 27 at Seibu, where he threw six innings, gave up six hits and one earned run with two strikeouts in a 4-2 win.

For Seibu, outfielder An-Ko Lin has provided the bulk of the Lions’ offense against the Fighters this weekend. Lin went 2 for 4 with a home run and two RBIs in Saturday’s loss after a brief 0-for-1 appearance against Rakuten on July 8. He had a 2-for-4, one-RBI performance in a win over Rakuten on July 7. Lin has cooled somewhat after a rough six-game stretch from late June to early July, but his power remains a threat.

Seibu’s pitching staff struggled Saturday, but relievers Taiga Ueda (1 2/3 innings, no hits, no earned runs) and Yuta Nakamura (one inning, no hits, no earned runs, two strikeouts) provided scoreless work in relief.

The series has been closely contested this season, with the teams splitting 10 previous meetings. The Lions won 2-1 on Friday after dropping the previous two games at home to the Fighters in late June. Seibu took the season’s first series in May, winning two of three in Sapporo.

The Interstat game simulator projects a 5-2 victory for the Fighters, giving Nippon-Ham a 61.2 percent probability to win.

Following Sunday’s game, the Lions return home for a three-game set against Chiba Lotte starting Tuesday. The Fighters remain at Sapporo Dome for a three-game series against Fukuoka SoftBank beginning Tuesday.

First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. local time.