OSAKA -- The great home run chase held steady Monday night, as Kintetsu slugger Tuffy Rhodes went 0-2 with a pair of strikeouts, walked and was hit by a pitch as the Kintetsu Buffaloes beat the Chiba Lotte Marines 5-3 at the Osaka Dome.

Pacific League WonLostTiedPct.GB Daiei 67 56 1 .545 - Kintetsu 67 57 2 .5403 0.5 Seibu 68 58 0 .5396 0.5 Lotte 59 61 2 .4916 6.5 Orix 58 60 4 .4915 6.5 Nippon Ham 47 74 3 .388 19

Rhodes set a single season record for home runs in the Pacific League on Sunday afternoon when he crushed his 53rd on a pitch from Daiei Hawks southpaw reliever Shuji Yoshida high into the third deck. It was the decisive run in a key 7-6 victory.