OSAKA, Japan (Interstat) — The Rakuten Golden Eagles visit the Orix Buffaloes on Monday night at Osaka Dome, with the opener of a three-game series carrying plenty of weight for a Buffaloes club trying to climb above .500.

Rakuten enters at 36-56-1, while Orix is 47-48-2. The Golden Eagles have lost seven of their last 10 games, including a 10-6 defeat Sunday against Fukuoka SoftBank. Orix lost 5-1 at Seibu on Sunday after splitting a see-saw stretch in which the Buffaloes went 5-5.

The teams have met nine times this season, with Rakuten holding a 7-2-1 edge. The Golden Eagles swept a three-game home set from Orix on July 14-16, winning 3-1, 3-2 and 12-8. But the Buffaloes won the most recent meeting at Osaka Dome, beating Rakuten 5-2 on June 28.

Rakuten’s pitcher to watch is Tatsuki Koja. In his most recent outing Sunday against SoftBank, Koja pitched 5-plus innings, allowing six hits and two earned runs with six strikeouts. He also worked six innings at Lotte on July 23, earning the win after giving up seven hits and three earned runs while striking out seven.

Orix’s player to watch is Taito Takashima. He took the loss Sunday at Seibu, allowing eight hits and three earned runs over six innings with four strikeouts. Takashima bounced back in a July 26 relief appearance against Lotte with a scoreless inning and three strikeouts, though he struggled July 19 against Nippon-Ham, surrendering 10 hits and three earned runs in 3 1/3 innings.

Rakuten’s offense showed some pop in Sunday’s loss. Ryuya Taira went 2 for 3 with a home run and two RBIs, while reliever Roansy Contreras threw two scoreless innings with one strikeout. Orix got scoreless relief Sunday from Kosei Yoshida and Raiku Katayama, each working one inning.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a 4-3 Orix victory, and Interstat’s ELO system gives the Buffaloes a 59.00 percent chance to win.

After Monday’s game, the teams remain in Osaka for a Wednesday and Thursday doubleheader? No, they meet again Wednesday and Thursday at Osaka Dome, before Rakuten travels to Hokkaido and Orix visits Chiba Lotte. The season series will then shift to Rakuten in mid-August, with three games scheduled Aug. 11-13 in Sendai.

For Orix, this homestand is a chance to gain ground after a difficult stretch. For Rakuten, Monday offers an opportunity to build on a recent head-to-head superiority that has not translated into overall success.

First pitch is scheduled for the evening at Osaka Dome.