Carlos Peguero's two-run, ninth-inning homer overturned a one-run deficit and boosted the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles to a 5-4 win over the Orix Buffaloes on Sunday.
Peguero, whose 11th-inning homer decided Friday night's season opener, again went deep at Kyocera Dome as the Buffaloes fell to an 0-3 start and the Eagles opened a season 3-0 for the first time in three years.
With two outs in the ninth and a runner on second against Orix relief ace Yoshihisa Hirano, the Buffaloes opted to challenge Peguero instead of putting the go-ahead runner on ahead of the heart of the Eagles order. Hirano missed with a 3-1 forkball, however, and the 192-cm Peguero didn't.