Shintaro Masuda singled in the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth inning as the Pacific League-leading Tohoku Rakuten Eagles came from behind to beat the Chiba Lotte Marines 5-4 on Sunday.

The Eagles overcame a four-run deficit after right-hander Manabu Mima’s first start since May 23 was aborted after three innings. But reliever Sho Miyagawa threw four scoreless innings of relief.

The Marines, who entered the three-game series at Kleenex Stadium two games behind the Eagles in second place, finished the day in third, five games off the pace, while the Eagles moved a franchise-record 15 games over .500.

“The way we won yesterday and the day before, I felt we would ride our momentum to a come-from-behind victory,” said Miyagawa, who walked a tightrope, allowing one hit but five walks.

“I walked so many batters that I didn’t think I’d be able to get it done, but I kept them off the board.”

Koji Aoyama (2-3) allowed a two-out double in the eighth, but he too repelled the Marines. Darrel Rasner gave up a one-out single but his infield turned a bullet off the bat of Craig Brazell into a game-ending double play.

The Marines got off to a red-hot start behind Yuji Nishino, who retired the first 13 batters. But after continually pitching behind in the count, Nishino got burned for three runs in the fifth.

Nishino was pulled after Casey McGehee’s one-out double put the tying run on second. Lefty Takahiro Matsunaga, the Marines top draft pick last autumn, surrendered a game-tying RBI double to Masuda but kept the hosts from taking the lead despite loading the bases with two walks.

Carlos Rosa (0-1) retired the first two batters he faced in the eighth but Andruw Jones singled and the ball got past golden glove center fielder Yoshifumi Okada, who was charged with an error as Jones took second. The hit was the 2,000th of Jones’ career in Nippon Professional Baseball and the major leagues. After McGehee was intentionally walked, Masuda bounced a ground-rule double over the right-field fence for his third hit of the game and the Eagles’ first lead.

“What you saw tonight wasn’t like the way I usually hit,” said Masuda, who started the season poorly but has been red-hot since he was recalled to duty on July 2.

Hawks 5, Fighters 4

At Yafuoku Dome, Katsuki Yamazaki’s infield single plated the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth inning after Hokkaido Nippon Ham shortstop Keiji Obiki’s throwing error let in the tying run in a loss to Fukuoka Softbank.

Tomoaki Egawa drove in two runs with a double and a homer, while Seiichi Uchikawa also homered for the Hawks. Trailing by a run in the eighth, both reached base with one out to set up the winning rally.

Lions 7, Buffaloes 0

At Seibu Dome, Takayuki Kishi (6-5) worked seven innings and two relievers completed the six-hit shutout of Orix as the Lions moved into second place.

The Buffaloes loaded the bases with one out in the first and never recovered as right-hander Brandon Dickson (6-5) allowed five runs over 2⅔ innings. Shogo Akiyama had four hits and three RBIs for Seibu, while Ginji Sumitani and Yuji Onizaki each drove in two.

CENTRAL LEAGUE

Giants 1, Dragons 0

At Nagoya Dome, rookie Tomoyuki Sugano worked seven innings of two-hit ball and two relievers completed the three-hit shutout as league-leading Yomiuri defeated Chunichi.

Sugano (9-2) walked a batter and struck out two before he was lifted for a pinch hitter in the eighth inning. Despite allowing three runners, he erased every runner who reached on a double play. John Bowker delivered the game’s only run with a fourth-inning sacrifice fly.

BayStars 10, Tigers 0

At Koshien Stadium, Yokohama’s rookie all-star Kazuki Mishima (4-5) allowed five hits and struck out nine in his first career shutout as Hanshin never got a runner as far as third base. The win completed a three-game sweep for the BayStars.

Tony Blanco went 3-for-4 and drove in six runs. The BayStars cleanup hitter had a sacrifice fly, a double and his 31st home run. Former Milwaukee Brewer Nyjer Morgan went 2-for-3, scored three runs and drove in one for the BayStars.

Carp 10, Swallows 7

At Mazda Stadium, Ryosuke Kikuchi hit a grand slam and Eishin Soyogi hit a two-run homer as Hiroshima came from behind in a six-run fifth and beat last-place Tokyo Yakult.

The Swallows, who were without CL home run leader Wladimir Balentien for the second straight game, overcame an early deficit with a three-run fourth inning. Lastings Milledge led off the inning by homering for the fourth straight game.