SENDAI (Kyodo) -- Roki Sasaki allowed a run over the distance to outduel veteran Takayuki Kishi as the Lotte Marines beat the Rakuten Eagles 5-1 on Tuesday to clinch the Pacific League's final playoff spot and knock their opponents out of postseason contention.

At Sendai's Rakuten Mobile Park Miyagi, Sasaki (10-5) struck out 10 in his first complete game in two seasons and reach 10 wins for the first time in his career.

The 22-year-old right-hander, who aspires to pitch in Major League Baseball, allowed five hits and no walks, allowing his only run on a second-inning wild pitch.

"Right from the start my feel for my pitches wasn't that bad," Sasaki said. "I gave up the early lead, but I'm glad I could preserve our own lead after we came from behind."

"I owe a debt of gratitude to the fielders for reaching 10 wins, and to the relievers for keeping us in front when I was the pitcher of record."

The 39-year-old Kishi (6-11) was up to the Sasaki challenge, but failed to escape a two-on two-out fifth-inning jam when a tricky popup in shallow left came off the glove of shortstop Itsuki Murabayashi for a two-run error.

Hiromi Oka followed with an RBI double to cap the three-run inning, and the Marines tacked on two runs in the ninth to chase Kishi as Sasaki cruised to the finish line.

"The pitching coach didn't say anything to me about not going out to pitch the ninth, so I figured I was staying in the game," Sasaki said. "Although we're the third seed in the Climax Series, I want to pitch in the Japan Series."

To get there the Marines will need to win the three-game first stage on the road against the second-place Nippon Ham Fighters, and then beat the league champion SoftBank Hawks in Fukuoka in the six-game second stage.

In other action Tuesday, the Central League's third-place DeNA BayStars came from behind in a 3-1 win over the fourth-place Hiroshima Carp, who now trail DeNA by three games.