In a game of high drama, the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles clinched their first Pacific League pennant on Thursday night in a come-from-behind 4-3 victory over the Seibu Lions.

Rakuten ace Masahiro Tanaka made his first relief appearance of the season but had to pitch out of a two-on, one-out jam to nail down the save, clinch the pennant and preserve his streak of 26 consecutive winning decisions.

Moments before the final out, second-place Chiba Lotte's game ended in Sapporo in a 6-5 defeat, meaning everything was on the line at Seibu Dome.