Shintaro Fujinami threw a scoreless two-thirds of an inning as the Baltimore Orioles walked off the Tampa Bay Rays 5-4 in 11 innings on Sunday.
The two American League East teams secured their places in the playoffs after the Texas Rangers lost to the Cleveland Guardians.
Trailing 3-2 in the ninth inning, reliever Fujinami had runners on the corners with one out following a double, walk and a stolen base.
Josh Lowe was then called out at home plate trying to score on a Jonathan Aranda grounder to first. Lowe was initially called safe, but the play was overturned on review at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
Yennier Cano, relieving Fujinami, retired the next batter before an Adam Frazier double tied the game in the home half. The two teams scored a run each in the 10th before Cedric Mullins's sacrifice fly plated the winning run in the 11th.
The Orioles made the playoffs for the first time in seven seasons, while the Rays progressed for the fifth straight year.
"I never had a beer-pouring (celebration) in Japan so it was really exciting," Fujinami said after the Orioles' champagne fight.
In his first MLB season, Fujinami overcame a difficult start with the Oakland Athletics after moving to the bullpen after being a starter before he was traded to the Orioles in July.
Fujinami is yet to allow a run in September, pitching 7⅓ innings over seven games.
"I'm really fortunate to get to experience something like this," said Fujinami, whose former team the Hanshin Tigers won their first Central League pennant in 18 years on Thursday.
Asked how he would feel if the Orioles win the World Series and Hanshin does the same in the Japan Series, Fujinami said, "That would be the best outcome."