Game Summary
The Lotte Giants outlasted the Kiwoom Heroes in a slugfest at Sajik Stadium on Sunday, securing a 15-10 victory that featured six home runs and nearly three hours of back-and-forth baseball. Lotte’s bats stayed hot throughout the afternoon, and despite Kiwoom’s early offensive push, the Giants’ deeper lineup proved too much to overcome down the stretch.
The game turned into a home run derby almost from the opening pitch. Kiwoom struck first with a two-run shot from Davidson in the first inning, but Lotte answered with consistent pressure that kept the Heroes’ pitching staff off balance. By the time the dust settled, both teams had combined for six homers—a telling sign that neither pitching rotation could find their footing on a day when the ball was carrying well.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kiwoom Heroes | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 13 | 2 |
| Lotte Giants | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 2 | 15 | 16 | 1 |
What began as a tight affair quickly spiraled into chaos in the middle innings. Kiwoom mounted a legitimate challenge through the first six frames, with Jeon Jun-pyo holding the Giants scoreless through six innings while allowing just three hits. But once Lotte’s bullpen entered the game, the Heroes’ bats went cold at precisely the wrong moment. The Giants’ offense, particularly through the seventh and eighth innings, proved simply relentless.
Pitching Performance
Jeon Jun-pyo was the bright spot in what became a nightmare afternoon for Kiwoom’s pitching staff. The right-hander pitched six solid innings, scattering three hits while walking four and striking out four. He kept the Giants off the board and gave his team a genuine chance to win. Unfortunately, everything that happened after he left the mound went sideways in a hurry.
Park Ji-sung, who took the loss, couldn’t record a single out in two-thirds of an inning, allowing two hits and two runs. From there, it was a parade of relievers for Kiwoom. Bae Dong-hyun surrendered three hits and four runs without recording an out. Won Jong-hyeon gave up three more runs in an inning of work. By the eighth inning, the game was effectively decided.
Lotte’s pitching told a similar early story. Beasley lasted six innings for the Giants, allowing ten hits and eight runs while striking out three. He wasn’t sharp, but he kept the damage contained just enough. Once the score tightened, though, Lotte’s bullpen stepped up. Lee Min-seok earned the win with a scoreless seventh inning, and the Giants’ relief corps—featuring Iimura, Kim Han-gyeol, and others—shut the door when it mattered most.
| Pitcher | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kiwoom Heroes | ||||||
| Jeon Jun-pyo | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Park Jung-hoon | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Bae Dong-hyun | 0 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Park Ji-sung [L] | 0 ⅔ | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Won Jong-hyun | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Kim Sun-gi | 0 ⅓ | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jung Da-hoon | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Lotte Giants | ||||||
| Beasley | 6 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 3 |
| Min-seok Lee [W] | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Iimura | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Kim Han-gyeol | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Offensive Highlights
Davidson provided the earliest fireworks for Kiwoom with his two-run blast in the first inning off Beasley. Choi Jae-young, who had limited at-bats, made his one swing count with a solo home run in the ninth. Chu Jae-hyeon delivered power as well, launching a three-run shot in the second and driving in a total of three runs despite limited offensive opportunities otherwise.
Seo Geon-chang was perhaps Kiwoom’s most consistent hitter, going 3-for-4 with an RBI. An Chi-hong added two hits, though neither team’s designated hitters could quite match the production Lotte generated from top to bottom.
The Giants’ lineup was simply deeper. Hwang Seong-bin collected two hits and drove in two runs. Ray Yepes went 2-for-3 with three RBIs, providing crucial hits in scoring situations. Han Dong-hee was the star of Lotte’s show, recording two hits including a massive four-run homer in the seventh inning that essentially put the game out of reach. Son Seong-bin added two hits including the go-ahead double in the seventh that proved to be the decisive blow. His two-run home run in the eighth further cemented the victory.
| Batter | AB | H | R | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kiwoom Heroes | |||||
| Seo Gun-chang | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Choi Jae-young | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Choo Jae-hyun | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Davidson | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Ahn Chi-hong | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kim Geon-hui | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Lotte Giants | |||||
| Hwang Sung-bin | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Na Seung-yeop | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Reyes | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Han Dong-hee | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Go Seung-min | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jang Du-sung | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Key Play
The turning point came in the seventh inning when Son Seong-bin drove a double to left-center field with two outs and runners on first and second. That hit gave Lotte a 13-10 lead they would not relinquish. What made the moment even more significant was that Son would later add a solo home run in the eighth, extending the advantage to five runs and effectively ending any comeback hopes for Kiwoom.
Han Dong-hee’s four-run blast in the seventh off Bae Dong-hyun was also critical in shifting momentum decisively toward the Giants. Those two back-to-back offensive surges turned a competitive game into a rout.
Standings Impact
Lotte Giants improved to 50-2-58, maintaining their sixth-place position in the standings. Kiwoom Heroes fell to 42-2-72, remaining in tenth place. The defeat pushed the Heroes further behind in what has been a challenging season for the Seoul-based franchise.