CHIBA, Japan (Interstat) — The first-place Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks look to continue their dominance against the Chiba Lotte Marines on Saturday night at Chiba Marine Stadium.

SoftBank (51-33-1) arrives as the Pacific League’s top team, bolstered by a 6-2 win at Nippon-Ham on Thursday. Taiga Kamichatani, who earned the victory in that start with six innings of two-run ball and nine strikeouts, will be a key figure. The right-hander has been effective against Lotte this season despite a loss on July 4, when he allowed no earned runs over 3 1/3 innings. He also appeared in two scoreless outings against the Marines in late June.

Lotte (40-40-1) is hovering at .500 but won its most recent game Thursday, a 4-3 decision at Seibu. Kaito Mouri took the victory, allowing two earned runs over 5 1/3 innings while striking out one.

The teams have split their season series. SoftBank has won five of the last nine meetings, but Lotte is 2-2 in their past four matchups and scored an 8-1 victory on July 4. Three games between the clubs in June ended in ties.

First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. The weather forecast calls for clouds with a temperature of 81 degrees.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a 5-3 SoftBank victory, and the ELO system gives the Hawks a 64 percent probability of winning.

The matchup begins a three-game series at Chiba Marine Stadium. SoftBank continues its road trip Sunday and Monday before returning home to face Orix. Lotte will host the Hawks for two more games before welcoming Tohoku Rakuten on Wednesday.