'Team ERA 1.94 → 6 wins, 1 draw' Lotte reclaims spring with starting-pitching dominance, led by the 'Ssang Dong-hee' duo toward mid-table ascent

*This content was translated by AI.

Lotte Giants, bolstered by a powerful starting rotation, have surged to six consecutive wins (including one draw).

On the 23rd, Lotte defeated the NC Dinos 3-2 in a regular-season home game at Busan Sajik Stadium in the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League.

Trailing 1-2 against NC in the bottom of the 8th inning, Lotte rallied with a solo home run by pinch-hitter Noh Jin-hyuk to a left-field gap, tying the game. In the bottom of the 9th, a leadoff single by Han Dong-hee to left field, followed by a fielder's choice by Kim Se-min, and a two-run single by Yoon Dong-hee to center field capped off the 2nd-hour-45-minute contest with a victory.

With this win, Lotte improved to 6 wins and 1 draw since their victory over the Incheon SSG Landers on the 16th, moving to 30 wins, 2 draws, and 39 losses, maintaining 8th place. They trail 5th-place Hanwha Eagles (34 wins, 2 draws, 35 losses) by just four games.

Starting pitcher Park Se-woong delivered a stellar performance over 7 innings, allowing 5 hits (including 1 home run), 1 walk, striking out 10 batters, and surrendering only 1 earned run, laying the foundation for a thrilling comeback win. Lotte's recent winning pattern has been for the starting pitcher to pitch deep into the game, with relief pitchers holding the opposition to minimal runs, while the offense scores the necessary runs to secure the win.

Despite the team batting average of 0.254 ranking 6th in the league and the team OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 0.688 ranking 7th during the winning streak, Lotte's 6 wins and 1 draw cannot be explained without acknowledging their league-leading team ERA of 1.94.

Especially impressive has been the performance of the starting rotation. During this period, the starting ERA of 1.90 ranks 1st in the league, showing a clear advantage over the 2nd-place LG Twins, whose starting ERA is 2.63. A significant factor has been right-handed fireballer Lee Min-seok (23), who has excellently filled in as a substitute starter with a 2.89 ERA over three games in June.

With a smooth six-man starting rotation of Kim Jin-wook, Park Se-woong, Yelvin Rodriguez, Lee Min-seok, Na Gyun-an, and Wisely, the team has gained stability in its overall performance. This mirrors the flow seen in late April.

From the April 23 game against the Busan Doosan Bears to the May 6 game against the Suwon KT Wiz, Lotte posted 7 wins, 1 draw, and 4 losses, appearing to gain momentum for a push into the upper standings. At the center of that upward trend was the team's ERA of 3.35, which ranked 1st in the league at the time. However, whenever the starting rotation showed signs of fatigue, the middle-to-lower-tier lineup failed to provide sufficient support, causing Lotte's spring surge to quickly fade.

This current winning streak also carries the same sense of unease seen in April. In seven games against lower-tier opponents SSG, Kiwoom, and NC, Lotte managed only 32 runs. In four of those seven games, even scoring three runs proved difficult.

If the lineup fails to support the team again against high-powered offenses, Lotte risks losing the fragile momentum it has just regained. Fortunately, Han Dong-hee and Yoon Dong-hee, who anchor the lineup, are showing good hitting form. Both players, who were highly anticipated this year, have recently returned to the team after battling injuries.

Han Dong-hee is currently batting 0.333 (9 hits in 27 at-bats) with 1 home run, 5 RBIs, and an OPS of 0.938 over seven games since his return, and Lotte has been on a winning streak ever since. Yoon Dong-hee, who returned in the Incheon SSG game on the 17th, is also contributing with a 0.350 batting average (7 hits in 20 at-bats) and an OPS of 0.909.

It is even more welcome given the struggles of previously hot hitters Ko Seung-min (26) and Na Seung-yeop (24). Both Ko and Na were on fire in May, with Ko batting 0.354 (34 hits in 96 at-bats) over 22 games and Na batting 0.286 (20 hits in 70 at-bats) over 2 games, but both have cooled off since entering June.

After completing the series against NC, 8th-place Lotte will face a string of upper-tier teams before the All-Star break: 1st-place LG, 6th-place Doosan, 2nd-place KT, and 4th-place KIA. If the 'Ssang Dong-hee' duo continues to perform at a high level and other hitters find their rhythm, a mid-table finish for the first half is not impossible.

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*This content was translated by AI.