Designated hitter Lee Seung Yeop hit a tiebreaking homer in the eighth inning Wednesday as the first-place Chiba Lotte Marines edged the Orix Buffaloes 4-3 to extend their winning streak to six games in the Pacific League.
Yokohama BayStars catcher Ryoji Aikawa tags out Yakult Swallows baserunner Hirofumi Watarai during the the seventh inning of Wednesday's game at Yokohama Stadium. The BayStars won 3-1.
Lee drove a two-out solo shot off Tsuyoshi Kikuchihara (0-1) into the right-field stands of Chiba Marine Stadium after Orix came back from a three-run deficit to tie the game in the seventh on an RBI single by Hiroaki Onishi and a two-run single from pinch-hitter Daisuke Hayakawa.
Dan Serafini pitched 6 1/3 innings and was charged with three runs before the Lotte bullpen held on. Yasuhiko Yabuta (1-2) worked a scoreless inning to earn the win and Masahide Kobayashi got the final three outs for his fourth save of the season.