"There was no one in front of me." The moment Kim Sang-soo revealed the unoccupied third base in the bottom of the 8th inning with no outs and a runner on first, prompting the question: Why did Lotte leave the infield empty? [Suwon Field]

*This content was translated by AI.

Lotte Giants' careless play led to their defeat.

On the 5th, Lotte lost 4-5 to KT Wiz in an away game at the Suwon KT Wiz Park during the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular season.

With this loss, Lotte's winning streak ended at four games, leaving them with a record of 12 wins, 1 tie, and 18 losses, maintaining 9th place in the league. KT, riding a two-game winning streak, improved to 22 wins and 10 losses, holding sole possession of first place.

For Lotte, it was frustrating to miss a winnable game. Starting pitcher Alvin Rodriguez struggled, allowing 8 hits (including 1 home run) over 5 innings, issuing 2 walks, striking out 6 batters, and giving up 4 earned runs. However, the return of players involved in the gambling scandal provided powerful hitting that kept the game tense until the final moments.

However, that focus did not extend to their defense. The turning point came in the bottom of the 8th inning when both teams were tied 4-4. Kim Sang-soo's leadoff hit struck third baseman Kim Se-min's glove, resulting in a hit that was more a matter of bad luck than skill.

The subsequent situation was unfortunate. Yoo Jun-gyu attempted a surprise bunt against Jung Cheol-won. Three players — the third baseman, the pitcher, and the catcher — all rushed toward the ball heading toward the third-base side, and Yoo Gangnam was thrown out at first base.

At that moment, Lotte's third base was unoccupied. Kim Sang-soo, who was on second base, aggressively stole third base. Left fielder Victor Reyes arrived late to cover the base, but Kim had already settled comfortably.

While being alert to the sacrifice bunt was good, it was unfortunate that four players converged on that single ball. With first baseman Na Seung-yeop having passed the mound, second baseman Go Seung-min had to cover first base, and shortstop Jeon Min-jae had to cover second base. Consequently, in the following at-bat, Kwon Dong-jin hit a large two-run double that struck the right-field wall, sealing Lotte's defeat.

After the game, Kim Sang-soo said, "During training, we practice situations where we check third base occasionally. I saw no one in my line of sight. I used to make this kind of play often when I was younger, and the situation happened to come to me. Since the game was tied, I thought advancing one more base would make it easier for the following batters, so I boldly ran."

He added, "Even if I reach third base, it would be meaningless if the next batter doesn't get a hit. But Kwon Dong-jin made a decisive hit, which allowed me to shine as well. I believe Dong-jin made an even more impressive play."

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*This content was translated by AI.