Lotte Marines players celebrate their advance to the final stages of Japan's Climax Series playoffs on Nov. 7, 2021, at Zozo Marine Stadium in Chiba, near Tokyo. (Kyodo)

       CHIBA (Kyodo) -- The Pacific League's Lotte Marines and the Central League's Yomiuri Giants advanced to the final stages of Japan's Climax Series playoffs Sunday, the Marines with a 4-4 home tie against the Rakuten Eagles and the Giants with a 4-2 win on the road over the Hanshin Tigers.

       By tying Game 2 at Zozo Marine Stadium after winning Game 1, second-place Lotte ensured the third-place Eagles could do no better than tie the three-game series, which is hosted by the higher-ranked team and won by them in the case of a deadlock.

       The Giants, who finished third in the CL, needed a win or two ties to advance to the CL's final stage after their 4-0 win on Saturday.

       In Chiba, Marines closer Naoya Masuda retired PL RBI leader Hiroaki Shimauchi to send Lotte into the best-of-seven final stage at Kyocera Dome Osaka against the Orix Buffaloes.

       Trailing 4-3 in the top of the seventh, Lotte reliever Yuki Kuniyoshi bounced back from a disastrous outing on Saturday to pitch out of a two-on, one-out pickle, and Leonys Martin homered to tie the game in the bottom of the inning.

       Chihaya Sasaki pitched a 1-2-3 eighth for the Marines, and PL saves leader Masuda finished the job in the top of the ninth.

       Marines rookie Koki Yamaguchi went 3-for-3. His fourth-inning double tied it 2-2, and his sixth-inning home run put Lotte in front.

       Veteran catcher Ginjiro Sumitani, who joined the Eagles during the summer, re-tied the game by leading off the seventh inning with a home run off Marines starter Kazuya Ojima. With two on in the inning, Shimauchi singled in the go-ahead run to chase Ojima.

       A day after surrendering three runs on Saturday and blowing a 3-1 lead, Kuniyoshi was lights out.

       "I have to answer for not bringing in Kuniyoshi to start the inning," Marines manager Tadahito Iguchi said.

       At Koshien Stadium, the Giants retained a chance to return to the Japan Series for a third straight season after booking a spot in the CL's final stage at Tokyo's Jingu Stadium against the Yakult Swallows.

       Trailing 2-0 in the third, the Giants loaded the bases with no outs against Koyo Aoyagi on an error and two singles. Seiya Matsubara singled in one run, and Yoshihiro Maru's two-out single put Yomiuri in front.

       "With two outs, I was just looking for a pitch I could put a good swing on," Maru said.

       The Tigers had 11 hits and five walks but could not bring any more of them home, while Yomiuri scored its fourth unearned run of the game in the eighth on a Zelous Wheeler sacrifice fly.

       Hanshin threatened in the ninth after two outs against closer Thyago Vieira. Jefry Marte reached on an infield single, and Yusuke Oyama walked to put the potential tying run on base, only for Vieira to end the Tigers' season by striking out Mel Rojas Jr. in a dramatic final at-bat.

       The Giants will now take on the CL champion Yakult Swallows at Tokyo's Jingu Stadium. Both final stages begin on Wednesday with the league champs starting with a one-win advantage.

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