The Korean professional baseball team Lotte Giants achieved a .500 winning percentage for the first time under manager Kim Tae-hyung. Playing with speed baseball, Kiwoom

Lotte secured a narrow victory of 6-4 against the Kiwoom Heroes in the '2025 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League' regular season match held at Sajik Stadium in Busan on the 16th.

As a result, Lotte secured a winning series, marking a season record of 10 wins, 10 losses, and 1 tie. They achieved their first .500 winning percentage since manager Kim Tae-hyung's appointment last year. On the same day, they climbed to a tie for fourth place with Samsung, who lost to LG with a record of 10 wins and 10 losses. Kiwoom fell into a three-game losing streak, remaining at 7 wins and 14 losses.

Kiwoom started with a lineup of Song Seong-moon (second baseman), Lee Joo-hyung (center fielder), Choi Joo-hwan (designated hitter), Cardenas (first baseman), Park Joo-hong (right fielder), Puig (left fielder), Eo Jun-seo (third baseman), Kim Keon-hee (catcher), and Oh Sun-jin (shortstop). The starting pitcher was domestic ace Hwang Young-min.

Lotte started with Hwang Seong-bin (center fielder), Jeon Min-jae (shortstop), Na Seung-seop (first baseman), RAY (designated hitter), Jeon Jun-woo (left fielder), Go Seung-min (second baseman), Yoo Kang-nam (catcher), Kim Min-seong (third baseman), and Jang Du-seong (right fielder). The starting pitcher was Charlie Barnes.

Lotte scored the first run from the bottom of the first inning with Hwang Seong-bin's speed baseball. Hwang Seong-bin, the leadoff batter in the first inning, reached base with a single to center, and with Jeon Min-jae's single to right, they had a chance at 1st and 2nd base with no outs. Na Seung-seop struck out, leading to 1 out on 1st and 2nd base, and RAY also caught a pop fly to the third baseman, resulting in 2 outs on 1st and 2nd base.

At this moment, Hwang Seong-bin stepped up. With 2 outs and 1st and 2nd base during Jeon Jun-woo's at-bat, Hwang Seong-bin stole third while the opposing catcher Kim Keon-hee checked on a check swing. This created a chance of 2 outs and 1st and 3rd base. Then, during Hwang Young-min's pickoff attempt at 1st base, he quickly stole home successfully, which was recorded as a home steal. Literally, they took a 1-0 lead with speed.

In the top of the second inning, Kiwoom created a chance at 1st and 2nd base with a walk from Cardenas and a single to right from Park Joo-hong. However, Puig, Eo Jun-seo, and Kim Keon-hee struck out consecutively, missing the opportunity.

Then, Lotte took the lead in the bottom of the second inning. After 2 outs, Kim Min-seong hit a double to left-center. Then, Jang Du-seong produced a timely single to center, extending the lead to 2-0.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, Lotte had a chance to load the bases with a single from Jeon Jun-woo to left, a single from Go Seung-min to right, and a single from Yoo Kang-nam to center, all with no outs. Then, Kim Min-seong registered a timely single to left. In the continuing no outs with the bases loaded, Jang Du-seong hit a grounder to second base, but managed to reach first safely, adding an additional run. In the continuing 1 out with runners on 1st and 3rd base, Hwang Seong-bin also hit a grounder to first base, but prevented a double play with his speed, leading to another run. The lead expanded to 5-0.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, after the leadoff batter Na Seung-seop hit a double and RAY's fly out to the right fielder created a 1 out and 3rd base situation, Jeon Jun-woo made an infield single to the shortstop, making it 6-0.

On the mound, Lotte's starter Barnes was battling hard. Barnes had been allowing no runs since facing 12 batters consecutively from the second inning with no outs and 1st and 3rd base until the fifth inning. In the sixth inning, he allowed a single to left from pinch hitter Lim Ji-yeol but then induced Song Seong-moon to fly out to center, struck out Lee Joo-hyung, and got Choi Joo-hwan to ground out to first base, finishing the inning.

However, Kiwoom retaliated in the seventh. The leadoff batter Cardenas hit a triple that hit the upper part of the right field wall, creating a chance at 3rd base with no outs, and Park Joo-hong brought in the runner from first base with a grounder to second. Jang Jae-young struck out, but with 2 outs, Eo Jun-seo kept the flame alive with a single to center, and Kim Keon-hee registered a timely double off the center field wall. The score tightened to 2-6.

Still, Lotte's starter Barnes completed 7 innings with 90 pitches, allowing 5 hits, 1 walk, recording 11 strikeouts, and giving up 2 runs, qualifying for the win before leaving the mound.

Lotte could not extend its lead any further, and Kiwoom began to make a push to catch up. In the top of the eighth inning, against Lotte's premier bullpen member Jeong Cheol-won, Kiwoom created a chance at 1st and 2nd base with Song Seong-moon's single to center and Lee Joo-hyung's single to right.

Choi Joo-hwan was retired on a pop fly to third base, but with 1 out and runners on 1st and 2nd base, Cardenas produced a two-RBI double that went over the left fielder's head, closing the gap to 4-6. The opportunity continued with 1 out and 2nd base, but Park Joo-hong grounded out to the left fielder, and Jang Jae-young also flew out to the left fielder, missing further chances to rally.

Lotte early brought in closer Kim Won-jung to finish the eighth and came back up in the ninth to complete the save. Kim Won-jung pitched 1⅓ innings without giving up a run, achieving his sixth save of the season. On this day, Lotte's Hwang Seong-bin swung for 4 hits and contributed to the victory by scoring multiple runs with his speed. Kim Min-seong also recorded 2 hits, 1 RBI, and 1 run in 3 at-bats.

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