TOKOROZAWA, Japan (Interstat) — A dormant offense erupted in a decisive fourth inning Friday night as the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles defeated the Saitama Seibu Lions 6-3 at Seibu Dome, defying pregame projections and steadying their early season course.

The game, played before a crowd of 20,103, was a pitcher’s duel through three innings before transforming into a sudden slugfest in the fourth. Rakuten’s five-run outburst, highlighted by a three-run homer from Fumiya Kurokawa, provided all the necessary cushion for starter Kosei Shoji and the bullpen to secure the victory.

The win improved Rakuten’s record to 3-4 across all competitions, while Seibu fell to 2-5.

For three innings, Seibu starter Yutaro Watanabe and Rakuten’s Shoji traded zeroes. Watanabe worked around a two-out double by Taiga Kojima in the first, while Shoji navigated a leadoff single in the second. Both lineups managed little else, with the game proceeding at a brisk, scoreless pace.

The entire complexion of the contest changed in the top of the fourth. Rakuten’s Daisuke Nakashima ignited the rally by launching a triple to the gap in right-center field. Yuma Yasuda followed by driving a triple down the right-field line, scoring Nakashima for the game’s first run. Ryosuke Tatsumi then slapped a single into shallow left, plating Yasuda to make it 2-0. Luke Voit kept the line moving with a double to right-center, putting runners on second and third with still nobody out.

That brought Kurokawa to the plate. The Rakuten third baseman, who had been in a minor slump going 0-for-7 over his previous two games, connected on a Watanabe offering and sent it soaring over the right-field wall. The three-run blast suddenly stretched the lead to 5-0 and silenced the home crowd. The hit was Kurokawa’s only one of the night in four at-bats, but it was the game’s defining moment.

Watanabe finally recorded an out, but not before Yuya Ogoh added another single. A double play grounder and a flyout ended the marathon inning, but the damage was profound.

To their credit, the Lions responded immediately in the bottom half, refusing to let the game slip away. Kojima led off with a single and An-Ko Lin doubled him to third. After a walk loaded the bases, Shuta Tonosaki singled to center to score Kojima. Alexander Canario then delivered a two-run single to shallow center, cutting the Rakuten lead to 5-3 and bringing the tying run to the plate with still no outs.

Shoji, however, bore down. A sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third, but the Rakuten right-hander struck out Manaya Nishikawa swinging. After walking Masayuki Kuwahara to reload the bases, Shoji escaped further damage by striking out Takayoshi Yamamura to end the threat and preserve a two-run lead.

The seesaw battle of the fourth inning proved to be the game’s critical sequence. Rakuten’s offensive explosion provided a margin that Seibu’s counterpunch could not fully overcome, establishing a tone of resilience for the visitors.

Rakuten added an insurance run in the sixth against the Seibu bullpen. With one out and runners on second and third, Itsuki Murabayashi singled to shallow left, scoring Voit to extend the lead to 6-3.

From there, Shoji and the Rakuten relievers took control. Shoji settled in after the turbulent fourth, retiring nine of the final ten batters he faced. He finished his night after seven strong innings, allowing three earned runs on seven hits while striking out six and walking two. He earned the win, improving to 2-0.

The Rakuten bullpen was flawless. Masaya Nishigaki worked a perfect eighth inning, and closer Shoma Fujihira retired the side in order in the ninth, striking out Kazunari Ishii looking to end the game and notch his second save of the season.

Watanabe took the loss for Seibu, falling to 0-2. He was charged with all six Rakuten runs over six innings of work, surrendering seven hits and three walks while striking out three.

Offensively, Seibu’s Kojima led all hitters with a 2-for-4 night, including a double. Canario drove in two of the Lions’ three runs. For Rakuten, the five-run fourth inning accounted for the bulk of their eight hits, with Kurokawa’s three RBIs leading the way.

The victory allowed Rakuten to even their series with Seibu after recent struggles. The Golden Eagles had lost four of their previous five games, including a series loss to the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. The Lions, meanwhile, have now dropped four consecutive games after a promising start to the season.

The game’s outcome contradicted the pregame analytics. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a 4-3 Lions victory, and their ELO system gave Rakuten only a 51.3 percent probability to win. The combined nine runs went under the posted over/under line of 6.0.

The two teams will continue their three-game series at Seibu Dome on Saturday, April 4. Rakuten will look to build momentum before returning home next week to face the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters. The Lions will aim to halt their skid before embarking on a difficult road trip to face the Hawks in Fukuoka.