Ken Togame (8-7) scattered seven hits and two walks over six innings as the Seibu Lions defeated the Chiba Lotte Marines 7-6 and leapfrogged them into third place in the Pacific League standings on Friday.
Before 20,506 at Seibu Prince Dome, the game appeared easily in hand until Lotte sent 10 men to the plate in a five-run ninth. The win lifted Seibu a half-game ahead of the Marines in the battle for the PL's third and final playoff spot.
Shogo Akiyama, Takeya Nakamura and Hideto Asai each hit an RBI double off the club's former ace, Hideaki Wakui, in a four-run third inning. Togame then protected his lead by pitching out of jams in the fourth and sixth. The only run he allowed came in the fifth, when Luis Cruz opened the inning with his 15th home run.