'It was a festival until the 7th inning,' but Lotte Giants collapsed due to errors, and fans who had witnessed 'four consecutive sellouts' began to leave [Busan]

*This content was translated by AI.

Thanks to a strong performance by the emergency starter, victory seemed within reach until the 7th inning, but the team crumbled after the 8th. Even more painful was that they handed over the win themselves.

On the 6th, Lotte, leading 2-0 in the home game against Hanwha Eagles at Sajik Baseball Stadium in Busan, surrendered four runs in the 8th inning and three in the 9th, ultimately losing 2-7 in a comeback defeat.

With the loss, Lotte's record fell to 22 wins, 34 losses, and 1 tie, extending their three-game losing streak. They failed to close the gap with 8th-place NC Dinos, remaining in 9th place with a 2.5-game deficit. Over their last 10 games, the team went 3-7, unable to reverse their recent slump.

On this day, emergency starter Lee Min-seok took the mound, while Hanwha's starter was Willkel Hernandez. With the weight of the starting pitcher heavily favoring Hanwha, Manager Kim Tae-hyung prepared for the worst. Before the game, he removed Lee Seung-heon and called up Jung Sung-jong.

Manager Kim explained his decision to call up Jung Sung-jong: "(Lee) Min-seok's innings are uncertain, and with a high pitch count, pitchers like Lee Jin-ha were unavailable. We plan to call him back if the situation arises later. If he can pitch only until the 5th inning, there would be no problem, but if he comes out before that, there are no pitchers left to fill the innings."

Lee Seung-heon had pitched one inning in the Gwangju KIA game on the 4th and also appeared in the Hanwha game on the 5th after moving to Busan, throwing another inning. On this day, with pitching difficulties, another pitcher was needed as a contingency.

The situation certainly warranted such a move. Lee Min-seok, a promising player drafted first overall in 2022 and wearing the Lotte uniform, had yet to make a significant impact in the first division. Last year, he alternated between starting and relief roles, pitching 87⅓ innings in 20 games and showing potential, but his record was 2 wins, 5 losses, with an ERA of 5.26.

This season, he began in the bullpen, appearing in five games with an inconsistent performance. On the 30th of last month, he made his first start against NC Dinos, pitching 4⅔ innings and allowing two runs, raising expectations. With the need to relieve pressure on the starting rotation, Lee Min-seok was given another opportunity.

However, Manager Kim Tae-hyung's concerns proved unfounded. He completely dominated Hanwha's hot-hitting lineup from the previous day. Although he allowed a walk to leadoff hitter Oh Jae-won, creating early anxiety, he struck out Yonatan Peraza looking and then retired Moon Hyun-bin with a hit before striking out Noh Si-hwan again looking. He induced a groundout to the shortstop from Kim Tae-yeon, ending the first inning without allowing a run.

There were no major threats afterward. While Hanwha managed to get a hit in every inning through the 5th, Lee Min-seok efficiently retired subsequent batters. In the 3rd inning, he ended the frame with a double play with one out and a runner on first. In the 5th, after walking Lee Jin-young and getting a hit from Sim Woo-jun, he faced a bases-loaded, no-out situation. Sharp catcher Son Seong-bin's pickoff at second base erased the runner, and Lee induced a double play to the second baseman off Oh Jae-won to end the inning.

His pitch count was only 68, and he returned to pitch in the 6th. After striking out Peraza looking, Lee Min-seok was replaced by Kim Won-jung after allowing a groundout to right field from Moon Hyun-bin. Kim Won-jung effectively held off subsequent batters, preserving the victory condition.

Lee's fastest fastball reached 153 km/h. He effectively shut down Hanwha's lineup using almost only two pitches: 35 fastballs and 32 sliders. He also mixed in curveballs and forkballs (five pitches each) to further confuse the opposing batters.

Kim Won-jung had cleanly held Hanwha's offense through the 7th inning, making victory seem imminent, but disaster struck in the 8th. Park Jeong-min struggled with control, allowing three consecutive walks. While recording only three strikes, he issued 12 balls.

Hyun Do-hoon, who entered with the bases loaded and no outs, struck out Moon Hyun-bin swinging, seemingly relieving the tension. However, closer Choi Jun-yong, who had entered one step earlier, allowed a two-run, go-ahead double to Noh Si-hwan. In the following situation with two outs and runners on first and third, he also surrendered a two-run, go-ahead double to Heo In-seo, handing over the momentum.

Although Lotte failed to rally in the bottom of the 8th, they still had the top of the 9th to attack. If they could secure three outs in the top of the 9th, a comeback seemed possible.

However, the momentum collapsed immediately at the start of the 9th. Sim Woo-jun's ground ball to the third baseman was fielded well by Son Ho-young, but an errant throw allowed the leadoff runner to reach base. Hanwha then scored another run on Oh Jae-won's sacrifice bunt and Yonatan Peraza's groundout to right field.

With two outs and a runner on third, Noh Si-hwan stepped up to the plate. He powerfully hit Park Jun-woo's slider, which was located in the middle of the plate, sending it over the left-field wall for a 130-meter, two-run home run, sealing the victory.

Even amidst the gloomy atmosphere, Lotte fans, who had shown passionate support during four consecutive sellouts, began to leave before the team started their attack in the bottom of the 9th. There was no turnaround. Ultimately, Lotte suffered a painful 2-7 defeat.

The series loss was already confirmed. To avoid a sweep, a victory in the game on the 7th is crucial. Lotte will start foreign pitcher Jeremy Bissell. Although he has posted a 4-3 record with a 4.50 ERA in 11 games this season, falling short of expectations, Hanwha will counter with emergency starter Hwang Jun-seo.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.