KT Wiz decorated the battle of hitting with a victory. Their cohesion in the mid-to-late innings was impressive.
On the 27th, KT won 11-8 against the Lotte Giants in the '2025 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League' regular season matchup held at Sajik Stadium in Busan. KT, with a record of 39 wins, 36 losses, and 3 draws, avenged the ninth-inning loss to the LG Twins the previous day. Lotte failed to hold on to an early lead and lost, remaining at 42 wins, 33 losses, and 3 draws.
KT set up its starting lineup with Kim Sang-su (2nd baseman), Kim Min-hyuk (left fielder), Ahn Hyun-min (right fielder), Jang Seong-woo (catcher), Lee Jeong-hoon (designated hitter), Heo Gyeong-min (3rd baseman), Moon Sang-cheol (1st baseman), Bae Jeong-dae (center fielder), and Kwon Dong-jin (shortstop). The starting pitcher was Go Young-pyo.
Lotte started with Kim Dong-hyeok (center fielder), Go Seung-min (2nd baseman), Reyes (left fielder), Jeon Jun-woo (designated hitter), Na Seung-yeop (1st baseman), Kim Min-sung (3rd baseman), Yoo Kang-nam (catcher), Jeon Min-jae (shortstop), and Han Seung-hyun (right fielder). The starting pitcher was Lee Min-seok. Lotte took control against Go Young-pyo in the bottom of the first inning. In the first inning, Kim Dong-hyeok hit a single to right field, and Go Seung-min also hit a single to right, creating a first-and-third situation with no outs. Reyes scored a run with a sacrifice fly to center field. Jeon Jun-woo went down swinging for a strikeout, but with two outs and one on, Na Seung-yeop hit a single to left field, and Kim Min-sung followed up with a clutch hit to center to make it 2-0.
After that, KT immediately chased back, and the game turned into a slugfest. In the top of the second inning, after one out, Moon Sang-cheol got on base with a walk. Bae Jeong-dae struck out. However, with two outs, Kwon Dong-jin hit a single to left field, and with two outs and runners on first and second, Kim Sang-su hit a clutch hit to center to score a run. In the continued situation of two outs and bases loaded, Kim Min-hyuk hit a ground ball to shortstop, but Lotte shortstop Jeon Min-jae made an error, keeping the bases loaded. Ultimately, Ahn Hyun-min walked, pushing the score to 2-2.
However, Lotte's lead did not last long. In the bottom of the second inning, the leadoff hitter, Jeon Min-jae's substitute Park Chan-hyeong, lifted Go Young-pyo's first pitch, a 134 km/h four-seam fastball, over the fence for a solo homer. He has now hit safely in all three of his at-bats since beginning his career, posting a hit, hit, home run.
Lotte's lead did not last long. In the top of the third inning, after one out, Heo Gyeong-min reached base with a double. Moon Sang-cheol hit a ground ball to shortstop, but this time Park Chan-hyeong couldn't handle the ball. With one out and runners on first and second, Bae Jeong-dae flew out to left field, but Kwon Dong-jin hit a clutch single to right to level the score at 3-3. Following that, Kim Sang-su hit an infield single that advanced runners to bases loaded, and Kim Min-hyuk produced a two-run single to right, turning the score to 5-3.
However, Lotte's firepower quickly dismantled KT's mound. Lotte responded in the bottom of the third inning. Leadoff hitter Jeon Jun-woo reached base with a double that hit the upper part of the left field fence. Na Seung-yeop's walk kept the momentum going. Kim Min-sung struck out, but with one out and runners on first and second, Yoo Kang-nam hit a clutch single to left to narrow the gap to 4-5. With one out and runners on first and second, Park Chan-hyeong's single to right tied the game at 5-5.
Park Chan-hyeong achieved a tied record for the most hits in four consecutive at-bats since his debut with this hit. In the following situation of one out and runners on first and second, he went down on an infield fly from the third baseman, putting two outs and two on, but Kim Dong-hyeok reached base on a walk, extending the chances to load the bases. Go Seung-min then drove in two runs with a clutch hit to center, taking the lead to 7-5, and Reyes followed with a clutch hit to center that extended the lead to 8-5.
KT began to counterattack again from the fifth inning. In the fifth, leadoff hitter Moon Sang-cheol reached base on a hit by pitch, and after a wild pitch and Bae Jeong-dae’s single to right, they created a first-and-third opportunity with no outs. However, Kwon Dong-jin hit into a shortstop double play, and they managed only one run.
In the sixth, they also created an opportunity. After one out, Ahn Hyun-min got on base with a single to center, and Jang Seong-woo made a lucky clutch hit that fell into right field. However, Jang Seong-woo was tagged out trying to advance to third base, losing the additional opportunity. Still, they closed the gap to 7-8.
KT’s third pitcher, Bae Je-seong, who came on after Lim Jun-hyeong in the third inning, nearly shut down Lotte's lineup. Through six innings, he pitched 3 and 1/3 innings, allowing 3 hits, 2 walks, and striking out 3 batters, while not allowing any runs, maintaining the gap.
KT succeeded in a major turnaround in the top of the seventh inning. They aggressively targeted Lotte's top bullpen pitcher, Choi Jun-yong. After one out in the seventh, Oh Yun-seok’s single to left and Bae Jeong-dae’s single to right created a first-and-second opportunity. Kwon Dong-jin struck out, but Kim Sang-su made a clutch hit to center, leveling the score at 8-8. Subsequently, Kim Min-hyuk's clutch hit to left took the lead, and Ahn Hyun-min's clutch hit to left further extended it to 10-8.
In the top of the eighth, leadoff hitter Lee Jeong-hoon walked, Heo Gyeong-min advanced him with a sacrifice bunt, and Oh Yun-seok drew another walk, creating a first-and-second opportunity with one out. Bae Jeong-dae hit a clutch single to right, extending the score to 11-8. They showcased their cohesion, scoring in four consecutive innings from the fifth to the eighth. In the ninth, closer Park Young-hyun washed away the disappointment of the previous day’s loss and earned the save.
Both teams displayed a hitting duel with 33 hits. KT recorded 17 hits, while Lotte had 16. As a table setter, Kim Sang-su had 4 hits in 6 at-bats, driving in 2 runs and scoring once, while Kim Min-hyuk also stood out with 3 hits and 3 RBIs in 6 at-bats. Ahn Hyun-min also contributed with 2 hits, 2 RBIs, and 1 run scored in 4 at-bats, along with two walks. From the lower order, Bae Jeong-dae posted 3 hits and 1 RBI in 5 at-bats, and Kwon Dong-jin also made an impact with 2 hits, 1 RBI, and 2 runs scored in 5 at-bats. Bae Je-seong earned his first win after his military discharge.
Lotte's Kim Dong-hyeok and Go Seung-min each recorded 3 hits, but top bullpen pitcher Choi Jun-yong collapsed in the seventh inning, allowing 3 runs and suffered the loss.
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