CHIBA -- The Seibu Lions couldn't get Koji Mitsui off the mound fast enough.

News photo
Koichi Hori of the Marines watches the ball fly against the Lions in their Pacific League playoff opener on Saturday at Chiba Marine Stadium. Lotte won 2-1.

Mitsui was meant to relieve Daisuke Matsuzaka, but his performance came as a relief only to the Chiba Lotte Marines, who scored a run against Mitsui to break a 1-1 tie in the eighth inning of Lotte's 2-1 win over the Lions on Saturday at Chiba Marine Stadium.