They managed to escape a 3-game losing streak and took a sigh of relief.
The Lotte Giants, led by manager Kim Tae-hyung, won 8-3 against the KIA Tigers in a regular season matchup held at Sajik Stadium in Busan on the 10th. With this victory, Lotte marked a season record of 6 wins, 9 losses, and 1 tie, escaping the 3-game losing streak.
Starter Charlie Barnes recorded somewhat disappointing stats with 5 innings, 5 hits, 4 walks, 3 strikeouts, and 3 earned runs, but achieved the first win of the season after the 3-game losing streak. Noh Seung-yeop played well with 2 hits, including a 3-run home run, in 4 at-bats, driving in 3 runs. Jung Hoon also contributed with 3 hits and 1 run in 4 at-bats. Yoo Kang-nam also had a multi-hit game with 2 hits and 1 run in 4 at-bats.
Jung Cheol-won, who had struggled in the last 2 games, came in during a 2-out, 1-and-2 base crisis in the 7th inning and rebounded with 1 inning, 2 strikeouts, and no earned runs for a hold. Closer Kim Won-jung recorded a save with 1 and 1/3 innings, 3 strikeouts, and no earned runs in his appearance after a week. Kim Sang-soo and Jeong Hyun-soo also played their roles well, laying the groundwork for escaping the losing streak.
After the game, manager Kim Tae-hyung noted, "Thanks to Noh Seung-yeop's 3-run home run, we were able to score early and manage the game well," and added, "Despite the difficult situation in the bullpen, they managed to hold it down without allowing any runs to secure the victory." He finally expressed gratitude to the fans who came to the ballpark and gave passionate support.
Lotte will play a 3-game series against the NC Dinos at Sajik Stadium from the 11th to the 13th. This series was originally scheduled to be held at Changwon NC Park. However, due to an urgent safety inspection following a structural collapse incident last month, it will instead be held at Sajik Stadium. Lotte will play the game as the visiting team. Lotte has announced Park Se-woong as the starting pitcher, while NC will start Kim Tae-gyeong.
KIA will travel to Gwangju to play a weekend 3-game series against the SSG Landers.
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