Lotte Giants have achieved their first .500 winning percentage under manager Kim Tae-hyung.
Led by manager Kim Tae-hyung, Lotte secured a narrow 6-4 victory against the Kiwoom Heroes in a Korean professional baseball regular season game on the 16th at Busan Sajik Stadium.
With this win, Lotte rises to a tie for 4th place with Samsung, holding a season record of 10 wins, 10 losses, and 1 draw, for a .500 winning percentage.
On this day, starting pitcher Charlie Barnes threw 90 pitches over 7 innings, recording 5 hits allowed, 1 walk, 11 strikeouts, and 2 earned runs, earning his second win of the season. The batting lineup produced runs at crucial moments, especially from the speedy hitters Jang Du-seong and Hwang Seong-bin.
Hwang Seong-bin led the team offensively, going 4-for-5 with a single in the 1st inning, another single in the 3rd, a third single in the 6th, and an infield hit in the 8th, with 2 stolen bases, 1 RBI, and 1 run scored.
In particular, with 2 outs and runners on 1st and 2nd in the 1st inning, opposing catcher Kim Keon-hee checked on the check swing call with the first base umpire, allowing Hwang to steal third base. Then, with 2 outs and runners on 1st and 3rd, he successfully stole home after a pick-off attempt at first base, taking advantage of the moment.
In the 8th inning, a reliable reliever Jeong Cheol-won struggled after giving up a 2-run double to Cardenas, but Kim Won-joong, who came in with 2 outs and a runner on 2nd in the 8th, achieved a 4-out save, securing the team's victory.
After the game, manager Kim Tae-hyung said, "Hwang Seong-bin did a great job as the leadoff hitter. Starting pitcher Barnes pitched well for 7 innings with 2 earned runs, and closer Kim Won-joong has been pitching well yesterday and today, allowing us to continue our winning streak."
With the winning series secured, Lotte is set to announce Park Se-woong as their starting pitcher on the 17th. Kiwoom plans to start Kim Yun-ha.
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