TOKOROZAWA, Japan (Interstat) — For six and a half innings on Thursday evening, the script unfolded as expected at Seibu Dome. Nippon-Ham Fighters starter Koki Kitayama was dominant, and his team held a comfortable lead built on a pair of home runs.

Then, the seventh inning happened.

The Saitama Seibu Lions, held to just three hits and no runs through six frames, erupted for five runs in the bottom of the seventh, capped by a dramatic three-run home run from Tyler Nevin, to stun the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters 5-4 in Pacific League action.

The comeback victory, played before a crowd of 27,681, flipped the result projected by simulations and betting lines, handing the Lions a crucial win in the opener of their final series against a playoff-bound opponent.

The game was a masterclass in pitching for the first two-thirds of the contest. Kitayama was nearly untouchable for the Fighters, scattering six hits over 6 2/3 innings while striking out eight and, most importantly, allowing zero earned runs. He efficiently worked his way through a potent Seibu lineup, stranding runners and maintaining control.

Nippon-Ham’s offense provided him with an early cushion. In the top of the second inning, Yuya Gunji led off with a single against Seibu starter Tatsuya Imai. Kotaro Kiyomiya then stepped up and launched a two-run homer to left-center field, giving the Fighters a quick lead.

They added to it in the third. After Shun Mizutani was hit by a pitch and later stole second base, veteran slugger Franmil Reyes delivered a two-out single to shallow center, plating Mizutani to make it 3-0.

The lead grew to four in the fifth when shortstop Tatsuki Mizuno connected for a solo home run to right-center, chasing Imai from the game. Imai finished with a line of five innings pitched, four hits, four earned runs, and four strikeouts.

As Kitayama continued to mow down Lions hitters, the outcome seemed a foregone conclusion. The Fighters’ bullpen, however, would unravel the left-hander’s stellar work. Kenta Uehara relieved Kitayama with two outs and a runner on first in the seventh. What followed was a cascade of mistakes and clutch hits from Seibu.

The inning was kept alive by a two-out error by the Fighters’ infield on a routine grounder from Manaya Nishikawa. Instead of the inning being over, the Lions had runners on first and second. Natsuo Takizawa, who had moved from shortstop to second base during the game, promptly laced a double down the right-field line, clearing the bases and cutting the deficit to 4-2.

After a walk to Seiya Watanabe put runners on first and third, Nevin stepped to the plate. The first baseman, who had been quiet until that point, turned on a pitch and launched a towering three-run shot to center field, sending the home crowd into a frenzy and giving the Lions their first lead of the night at 5-4.

The bullpen trio of Haruto Yamada, Shota Hamaya, and Kaima Taira made the lead stand. Yamada pitched a perfect seventh inning with a strikeout to earn the win, improving his record to 3-3. Hamaya followed with a 1-2-3 eighth.

Taira, one of the league’s premier closers, entered in the ninth to protect the one-run lead. He allowed a leadoff single to Gunji, but immediately induced a ground ball from Kiyomiya that resulted in a crucial 6-4-3 double play. A walk to pinch-hitter Go Matsumoto brought the potential tying run to the plate, but Taira got Yuki Nomura to ground out to shortstop to end the game, securing his 29th save of the season.

Uehara was charged with the loss, falling to 3-1 on the year, after being responsible for the runners who scored on Takizawa’s double and Nevin’s homer.

The result improved the Lions’ record to 61-71-4, while the Fighters, who are jockeying for postseason position, fell to 78-57-3. The loss continues a recent stumble for Nippon-Ham, which has now dropped three of its last four games, including two shutouts earlier in the week.

For Seibu, the victory was a bright spot in a challenging season and a measure of revenge after dropping three of four to the Fighters just over a week ago. The two teams are set to meet again Friday at Seibu Dome to continue the series.

The total combined score of nine runs fell under the pregame over/under line. The Lions’ comeback victory defied the odds, as Interstat’s game simulator had projected a 4-2 win for Nippon-Ham, and its ELO system gave the Fighters a 60.5 percent probability of winning.