Toshiaki Imae doubled home the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning as the Lotte Marines beat the Chunichi Dragons 2-1 to extend their winning streak to seven games on Friday.
Tsuyoshi Nishioka reached on a leadoff infield single to the shortstop and scored all the way from first on Imae's drive to deep left off Masahiro Yamamoto (2-3) in interleague play at Chiba Marine Stadium.
Toshiaki Imae of the Chiba Lotte Marines celebrates with teammates Masato
Watanabe (40) and Tomoya Satozaki (right) after hitting a game-ending
"sayonara" RBI double in the bottom of the ninth inning against the Chunichi
Dragons.
Hiroyuki Kobayashi took a shutout into the ninth before Masahide Kobayashi (4-0), who took over with one out and runners on the corners, allowed a game-tying RBI single to Tyrone Woods.