South Korean slugger Lee Seung Yeop connected for a two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth inning Monday as the Chiba Lotte Marines rallied to defeat the Pacific League-leading Softbank Hawks 9-5.
Softbank catcher Kenji Jojima hit a solo homer in the second inning and added a three-run blast in the third as the Hawks jumped out to a 5-0 lead at Chiba Marine Stadium.
But the Marines rallied with four runs in the fourth, including Lee's 29th homer of the season. Bobby Valentine's team tied the game in the fifth and then took an 8-5 lead in the sixth inning with Kazuya Fukuura providing the key hit on a single to right that scored two runs.