Game Summary
The Lotte Giants outlasted the NC Dinos in a back-and-forth affair on Friday night, securing an 8-5 victory at Sajik Stadium. What began as a closely contested pitching duel unraveled in the middle innings, with both offenses finding their footing just enough to keep the game competitive until the final out. The Giants’ bullpen eventually steadied itself, and a crucial seventh-inning home run provided the breathing room Lotte needed to hold on.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NC Dinos | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 13 | 1 |
| Lotte Giants | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 11 | 2 |
NC’s starter Won Jong-hae gave up just two runs through four innings of work, but the middle relief corps couldn’t replicate that efficiency. Lotte’s Park Se-woong matched the early control, scattering nine hits across six and two-thirds innings without allowing a walk. The game’s momentum shifted dramatically once both teams tapped into their bench depth and substituted fresh arms into the game.
An opportunistic Giants lineup capitalized on mistakes and mistakes alone. The Dinos couldn’t string together enough clutch at-bats when runners were in scoring position, going 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position. Meanwhile, Lotte made the most of their limited chances, particularly in the decisive seventh frame.
Pitching Performance
Park Se-woong was the workhorse for Lotte, grinding through six and two-thirds innings and allowing four runs on nine hits. His command wasn’t pristine—he didn’t issue a walk—but the Dinos made him work for outs, fouling off pitches and forcing him to navigate traffic on the basepaths. Won Jong-hae’s four-inning stint for NC set a solid foundation, permitting five hits and three walks while striking out two, but the injury bug that’s plagued the Dinos all season struck again.
| Pitcher | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NC Dinos | ||||||
| Won Jong-hae | 4 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| Choi Yo-han [H] | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ryu Jin-wook | 0 ⅔ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Kim Jin-ho [L] | 0 ⅓ | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Song Myung-ki | 1 ⅔ | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Park Ji-han | 0 ⅓ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Lotte Giants | ||||||
| Park Se-woong | 6 ⅔ | 9 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Iimura [W] | 1 ⅓ | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Kim Won-joong | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Choi Jun-yong [S] | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Things deteriorated rapidly once NC went to their bullpen. Ryu Jin-wook lasted just two-thirds of an inning before Kim Jin-ho entered the game in a precarious situation. That decision backfired spectacularly. Kim surrendered two hits and three runs in a third of an inning, effectively handing the Giants a comfortable lead they’d nurse to victory. Song Myung-gi cleaned up, but the damage was already done. On the flip side, Ii Mura picked up the win for Lotte with a scoreless inning and a third, while closer Choi Joon-yong sealed it with a save-worthy appearance in the ninth.
Offensive Highlights
The game’s most intriguing stat line belonged to An Jung-yeol of the Dinos, who went 4-for-4 at the plate. The contact hitter was a bright spot in an otherwise frustrating night for NC’s lineup, driving in one run with his perfect night. Park Min-woo chipped in with two hits, and Kim Hui-jip contributed a double and an RBI. Blaine struck out twice and grounded into a double play, summing up the struggles the Dinos faced against Lotte’s pitching.
| Batter | AB | H | R | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NC Dinos | |||||
| Kim Ju-won | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Park Min-woo | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kim Hwi-jip | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Blaine | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Ahn Jung-yeol | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Cheon Jae-hwan | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lotte Giants | |||||
| Hwang Sung-bin | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Na Seung-yeop | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Han Dong-hee | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Go Seung-min | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Jeon Min-jae | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Lotte’s offense was deeper and more balanced. Han Dong-hee went 3-for-4 with two doubles and two RBIs, the kind of consistent two-strike production that wins ballgames. Hwang Sung-bin and Jeon Min-jae each recorded two hits, keeping pressure on the NC pitchers throughout the evening. Na Seung-yeop added a pair of singles with an RBI, and Ko Seung-min’s three-run homer in the seventh essentially decided the contest.
Key Play
Ko Seung-min launched a three-run home run off Kim Jin-ho in the seventh inning with runners on first and second and no outs. It was the Giants’ 10th home run of the season and proved to be the dagger. NC never mounted a serious threat after that blast. The moment encapsulated everything wrong with the Dinos’ bullpen work and everything right about Lotte’s willingness to punish mistakes down the middle of the zone.
Standings Impact
With this win, the Giants improved to 50-2-57, while the Dinos fell to 48-2-54. Both teams remain mired in the bottom half of the standings, but Lotte’s victory maintains their slight edge in the race to avoid the cellar. Neither club has much margin for error if playoff aspirations remain, making every remaining game consequential down the stretch.