Game Summary
The Lotte Giants hammered the Doosan Bears 11-4 on Wednesday night at Jamsil Stadium, with Kim Jin-uk’s steady pitching and a late offensive explosion delivering a decisive victory. Lotte’s bats came alive after a tightly contested middle innings, erupting for six runs in the eighth to put the game out of reach. The Giants’ pitching staff, despite some late-inning shakiness, held Doosan’s potent lineup in check when it mattered most. The Bears managed just four runs across nine innings, a far cry from their recent offensive output.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lotte Giants | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 11 | 16 | 0 |
| Doosan Bears | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 2 |
Reyes’ go-ahead hit in the fifth inning proved to be the turning point. With two outs and a runner on second, the Lotte outfielder drove a sharp single to right field that broke open what had been a tense pitcher’s duel through four frames. That single gave the Giants their first lead of the day and set the tone for what would become a dominant performance.
Pitching Performance
Kim Jin-uk earned the win, allowing just one hit across six innings while striking out seven Doosan hitters. The Lotte starter was economical with his pitches and kept the Bears’ dangerous lineup off-balance throughout his outing. He did walk three batters, but never allowed them to cluster together on the bases. His command improved as the game wore on—he struck out four of his last five batters faced.
| Pitcher | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lotte Giants | ||||||
| Kim Jin-wook [W] | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 7 |
| Choi Jun-yong | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Iimura [H] | 1 ⅓ | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Kim Han-gyeol | 0 ⅔ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Hyun Do-hoon | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Doosan Bears | ||||||
| Choi Seung-yong [L] | 5 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| Kim Jung-woo | 0 ⅓ | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Takada | 1 ⅓ | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Yoon Tae-ho | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Lee Byung-heon | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| Seo Jun-o | 0 ⅓ | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Choi Seung-yong took the loss after giving up six hits and two runs over five innings of work for Doosan. The Bears’ starter struggled with his control and couldn’t maintain the pace needed to silence the Lotte lineup. Kim Jeong-woo’s brief appearance in relief was disastrous; he couldn’t get an out, surrendering three hits and a run in just one-third of an inning. The damage compounded in the late frames when the Giants repeatedly found holes against a succession of Doosan arms.
Lotte’s bullpen, while imperfect, managed the situation. Iimura threw 1⅓ scoreless innings. Kim Han-gyeol struck out one in two-thirds of an inning, and Hyun Do-hun pitched a scoreless ninth. Doosan cycled through five relievers after Choi departed, with each succeeding pitcher unable to slow the bleeding. Yoon Tae-ho, Takada, and Lee Byung-heon all surrendered multiple runs.
Offensive Highlights
Ko Seung-min’s two-home run night powered the Giants’ attack. His solo shot in the sixth inning extended Lotte’s lead to 3-1, then his grand slam in the eighth—off Lee Byung-heon—essentially settled matters. Ko finished with six runs batted in on the evening, showcasing the kind of mid-order thunder that has defined Lotte’s identity when they’re playing well.
| Batter | AB | H | R | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lotte Giants | |||||
| Na Seung-yeop | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Reyes | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jang Du-sung | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Han Dong-hee | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Go Seung-min | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 |
| Jeon Min-jae | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Doosan Bears | |||||
| Ahn Jae-seok | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jung Su-bin | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Kim Min-seok | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Kang Seung-ho | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Reyes was a menace throughout, going 4-for-5 with his clutch go-ahead single leading the way. Na Seung-yeop contributed two hits in six at-bats and drove in a run. Han Dong-hui also collected two hits off Doosan’s pitching staff. For the Bears, Jung Su-bin managed three hits in four tries, and An Jae-suk rapped out a double, but the team’s lineup lacked the consistency needed to keep pace.
Doosan’s batters made some poor decisions. An Jae-suk hit into a double play in the fourth inning when a baserunning opportunity might have helped. Kim Min-seok, who drove in a run, appeared in just one at-bat, suggesting Doosan’s lineup was depleted or experiencing injury issues.
Key Play
Ko Seung-min’s eighth-inning grand slam ended all suspense. With the bases loaded and two outs, the slugger connected on a Lee Byung-heon offering and sent it into the upper deck in right field. That four-run blast gave Lotte an 11-4 advantage and turned a competitive game into a rout in the span of one swing. It was the kind of decisive moment that playoff teams need their cleanup hitter to deliver.
Standings Impact
The victory does little to alter Lotte’s standing in the basement of the KBO standings at 50-2-58. Doosan, sitting fifth at 58-4-50, saw their lead in the standings narrowed slightly, though one loss hardly threatens their position. Still, as Doosan continues its push toward the postseason, inconsistent relief pitching and offensive droughts like Wednesday’s serve as reminders of what can derail a pennant race.