*This content was translated by AI.
Finally, the Lotte Giants have begun to move. They dominated the SSG Landers and secured a swift three-game winning streak.
On the 2nd, Lotte defeated SSG 7-5 in an away regular-season game of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League held at the SSG Landers field in Incheon.
With this victory, Lotte extended their winning streak to three games, recording a 11-0-17 record. Playing the only afternoon game at around 2 p.m., they jumped to 8th place, overtaking the Kiwoom Heroes. Meanwhile, SSG recorded 17 wins and 12 losses.
For this game, SSG started with Park Sung-han (shortstop), Jung Jun-jae (second baseman), Choi Jeong (third baseman), Heredia (left fielder), Han Yu-seom (designated hitter), Choi Ji-hoon (center fielder), Oh Tae-gon (first baseman), Choi Jun-woo (right fielder), and Jo Hyung-woo (catcher) in that order. The starting pitcher was Benigniano.
Facing SSG, Lotte set their starting lineup as Jang Du-seong (center fielder), Yoon Dong-hee (right fielder), Reyes (left fielder), Yu Gangnam (designated hitter), Kim Min-seong (first baseman), Park Seung-wook (third baseman), Jeon Min-jae (shortstop), Son Seong-bin (catcher), and Han Tae-yang (second baseman). The starting pitcher was Na Gyun-an.
SSG seized the initiative early in the bottom of the 1st inning with a powerful hit. Park Sung-han launched a solo home run to the gap between center and right field against Na Gyun-an, taking a 1-0 lead. In the bottom of the 4th, SSG added another run. Heredia hit a sacrifice fly that dropped just inside the left-field line, bringing third baseman Choi Jeong home.
While Benigniano was pitching well for the first time in a while, a major variable occurred in the top of the 6th. With no outs and a runner on first, Benigniano's fastball struck Jang Du-seong's helmet, resulting in a headshot ejection. This was a massive variable.
With runners on first and second and no outs, Noh Gyeong-eon suddenly took the mound. Perhaps his body wasn't fully warmed up. Yoon Dong-hee's sacrifice fly, Reyes' two-RBI single to left-center, and Noh Jin-hyuk's sacrifice fly to left field each broke the tie, putting Lotte ahead 3-2. Then, with two outs, Jeon Min-jae hit a sacrifice fly to the gap between center and left, extending the lead to 4-2.
Lotte added two more runs in the top of the 7th. Park Seung-wook drew a bases-loaded walk, and when Park Si-hoo committed an error allowing the runner on third, Yoon Dong-hee scored, making it 6-2. In the top of the 8th, with one out and runners on first and third, Reyes hit a two-RBI single to the gap between center and right, pushing the score to 7-2.
Nevertheless, SSG did not give up easily. In the bottom of the 8th, with no outs and runners on first and second, they hit a three-run home run against the reliever Jeong Cheol-won, launching a fierce comeback attempt. However, Heredia flew out to right field, Han Yu-seom struck out swinging, and Choi Ja-hoon flew out to center field, failing to score any additional runs. Ultimately, Lotte brought Kim Won-jung to the mound in the bottom of the 9th, retiring the SSG lineup in order to secure the team victory.
Lotte starter Na Gyun-an pitched seven innings, allowing six hits and one walk while striking out seven, giving up two earned runs, and earned his first win of the season. He threw a total of 102 pitches. Following him, Park Jeong-min (0 innings, 1 hit allowed, 2 runs allowed), Jeong Cheol-won (1 inning, 1 hit allowed, 1 strikeout, 1 run allowed), and Kim Won-jung (1 inning, no hits allowed, 1 strikeout, scoreless) pitched in succession to protect the team victory. In the batting lineup, which produced a total of 13 hits, Yoon Dong-hee recorded three hits, while Reyes and Jeon Min-jae each recorded multi-hit games.
SSG starter Benigniano pitched five innings, allowing three hits and one walk while striking out three, giving up two earned runs, but had to swallow his disappointment due to the headshot ejection. He threw a total of 73 pitches. Noh Gyeong-eon (1 inning, 5 hits allowed, 1 strikeout, 2 runs allowed) took the loss. Jang Ji-hoon (1/3 inning, 2 hits allowed, 2 runs allowed), Park Si-hoo (2/3 inning, no hits allowed, scoreless), and Lee Ki-soon (2 innings, 3 hits allowed, 2 strikeouts, 1 run allowed) pitched in succession. In the SSG batting lineup, which managed 8 hits, Park Sung-han, Choi Jeong, and Choi Jun-woo each recorded multi-hit games.
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*This content was translated by AI.
