The 'Injury Ward' Lotte broke their losing streak, led by the strong performance of captain Jeon Jun-woo.
The Lotte Giants won 9-4 against the Doosan Bears in the 8th game of the season held at Seoul's Jamsil Stadium on July 7.
Lotte recorded their 33rd win, 3 losses, and 28 defeats of the season, escaping a recent three-game losing streak and a four-game losing streak on the road after avenging the previous day's loss.
Starting pitcher Lee Min-seok secured his 2nd win of the season (1 loss) despite struggling with 7 hits allowed, 2 walks, 4 strikeouts, 4 earned runs on 69 pitches through 5 innings, thanks to support from the lineup. Following him, Choi Jun-yong (1⅓ innings, no earned runs), Jeong Hyeon-su (1⅓ innings, no earned runs), and Kim Won-jung (1 inning, no earned runs) kept the game intact.
In the lineup, Go Seung-min had a stellar performance with 3 hits in 4 at-bats and 2 runs batted in, while Jang Du-seong contributed a game-winning triple among his 2 hits in 5 at-bats, 1 run batted in, and 2 runs scored. Foreign hitter Víctor Reyes also had 2 hits in 5 at-bats, 1 run batted in, and 1 run scored, while Jeon Jun-woo supported the effort with 2 hits (1 home run), 2 runs batted in, and 2 runs scored in 4 at-bats.
Lotte manager Kim Tae-hyoung said after the game, "Starting pitcher Lee Min-seok did well to carry the game through 5 innings, and the relief pitchers that followed did an excellent job of keeping the score down. The players approached the game with concentration. Especially, captain Jeon Jun-woo had a good hitting performance with 2 hits including a home run, which allowed us to secure the victory," and he applauded the players.
The Jamsil Stadium, where the matchup between Doosan and Lotte took place, was sold out with 23,750 seats, continuing from the previous day. The representative favorite team Lotte's away fans contributed to the full house for two consecutive days.
Manager Kim Tae-hyoung expressed gratitude on behalf of the players, stating, "I appreciate the fans who supported us with cheers as strong as the home team."
Jang Du-seong, who hit the game-winning triple, said, "With many injured players, the team was in a difficult situation, but we were able to win by uniting and concentrating more. I must do better and endure until injured players like Na Seung-yeop, Yoon Dong-hee, and Hwang Seong-bin recover and join the team. I will strive to ensure the team can rise further from today's game. I am always grateful to my wife who supports me at home and to my father-in-law and mother-in-law who cheer for me."
Lotte will challenge for a weekend winning series on the 8th, led by Alex Gamboa. Doosan is expected to start local ace Kwak Bin.
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