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TOKYO (Interstat) — The Yomiuri Giants visit the Tokyo Yakult Swallows on Tuesday evening at Meiji Jingu Stadium, with first pitch scheduled under cloudy skies and 84-degree heat.

Yomiuri (42-36-2) holds a one-game lead over Yakult (40-39-1) in the Central League standings. The Giants enter the contest following a 4-3 victory at Yokohama on Sunday, while the Swallows dropped a 3-0 decision at Hanshin on the same day.

Giants Outlook

Yomiuri’s offense revolves around left fielder Shunsuke Sasaki, who delivered the decisive blow Sunday with a 2-for-4 performance including a home run and four RBIs. Sasaki has been streaky, going 0-for-3 against Hanshin on July 9 but rebounding with a 1-for-4 effort July 8. In his last five games with at-bats, he has three hits in 11 at-bats with one homer and four RBIs.

Haruto Inoue threw six innings of two-run ball Sunday, striking out four, while Raidel Martinez closed with a perfect ninth for the save.

The Giants have won four of their last six, but their offense has been inconsistent — scoring two runs or fewer in four of their previous 12 contests. Yomiuri’s pitching staff has been solid, allowing three runs or fewer in seven of the last 10 games.

Swallows Outlook

Yakult counters with Kojiro Yoshimura, who has been effective on the mound despite taking the loss Sunday. The right-hander threw seven innings, allowing five hits and three earned runs while striking out four against Hanshin. In his last three starts, Yoshimura has a 4.26 ERA over 19 innings with 12 strikeouts.

At the plate, Yoshimura has struggled, going 0-for-6 in his last two games. The Swallows’ lineup has lacked punch, scoring one run or fewer in four of their last six games. Shortstop Hideki Nagaoka went 3-for-4 Sunday in the loss.

Series History

These clubs have split the season series 4-4 through eight meetings. The Giants won the most recent matchup July 1 at home, 2-1, after the Swallows took the previous game June 30 by the same 4-3 score. At Meiji Jingu, the teams are 2-2 this season, with Yomiuri winning 2-0 on May 19 and the Swallows taking a 3-1 decision May 21.

Projection

Interstat’s game simulator projects a 4-2 Yomiuri victory, with the Giants holding a 51.70 percent win probability according to the ELO system.

The game is the first of a three-game set between the rivals. Yakult will look to snap a two-game losing streak, while Yomiuri aims to build on Sunday’s win.