CHIBA — On a windy day on Tokyo Bay, the Chiba Lotte Marines picked up where they left off in the 2005 playoffs and Fukuoka Softbank Hawks starter Kazumi Saito's playoff woes continued.
Tsuyoshi Nishioka went 3-for-5 and drove in two runs, and the Marines rallied twice to tie the game before taking the lead for good in the fourth as they beat the Hawks 8-4 in the first game of the Pacific League Climax Series on Monday at Chiba Marine Stadium.
"This team has had big guts all year," said Marines manager Bobby Valentine, whose team was making its first playoff appearance since winning the Japan Series two seasons ago. "If you're down by three to Saito, you have to have big guts to come back."