Yuma Mune's two-run eighth-inning home run brought the Pacific League-leading Orix Buffaloes from behind as they clinched a postseason berth with a 2-2 tie against the second-place Chiba Lotte Marines on Tuesday.
With one on and two out in the eighth inning and Orix trailing 2-0 at Kyocera Dome Osaka, Mune drilled the first pitch he saw from lefty Kazuya Ojima for his eighth home run.
The Buffaloes, chasing their franchise's first pennant since Ichiro Suzuki led the Orix BlueWave to the Japan Series in 1996, remained 2½ games ahead of the Marines.