Ayumu Ishikawa pitched seven strong innings and Tatsuhiro Tamura drove in the winning runs on Monday as the Chiba Lotte Marines claimed a 9-3 come-from-behind victory over the Saitama Seibu Lions in the Pacific League.

The Lions suffered a heavy defeat a day after claiming the lead in the Pacific League and securing a spot in the playoffs for the third straight year.

In front of a holiday crowd at MetLife Dome outside Tokyo, Ishikawa (7-5) allowed three runs on eight hits and three walks, while striking out seven.