'Bring Austin's passport!' Another walk-off grand slam! LG saved... Lotte defeated 8-7 in comeback... Son Ju-young saves with two outs, bases loaded [Busan Field Review]

*This content was translated by AI.

Fans' reaction that the passport should be confiscated seems entirely justified. LG Twins foreign hitter Austin Dean (33) once again saved his team from a losing streak with a dramatic walk-off grand slam.

On the 27th, LG defeated Lotte 8-7 at Sajik Baseball Stadium in Busan during a regular-season away game in the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League, leading with Austin's left-field grand slam in the top of the 8th inning. With this victory, LG, who split the series 1-1, improved to 48 wins and 28 losses, bringing their win-loss margin back to +20. Lotte, in 8th place, recorded 32 wins, 2 draws, and 41 losses.

The turning point came in the top of the 8th inning when Lotte led 5-4. Iimura Shota, recently acquired via the Asia quota, took the mound for his KBO debut. Iimura immediately impressed by throwing a 152 km/h fastball on his first pitch. Mixing in forkballs and sliders, he induced infield grounders to shortstops from Hong Chang-ki and Gu Bon-hyeok.

However, LG's upper-order batters rallied, starting with Shin Min-jae's double down the middle. Song Chan-ui singled to left field, and Park Hae-min drew a walk, loading the bases. Lotte replaced the pitcher with closer Choi Jun-yong, but Austin sent a high curveball over the left-field wall for a walk-off grand slam. This was his second grand slam of the year. Yassel Rios and Son Ju-young held the line with just one earned run allowed over the remaining innings, allowing LG to escape a two-game losing streak.

In the pitching duel, Lotte held the advantage. Lotte's Kim Jin-uk pitched 6⅔ innings, allowing 7 hits, 3 walks, and 8 strikeouts while giving up 4 runs (1 earned), achieving a quality start but failing to secure the win. The losing pitcher was Iimura, who pitched ⅔ innings, allowing 2 hits, 1 walk, and 3 runs.

LG's Lachlan Wells collapsed due to defensive misfortune, pitching 3 innings, allowing 6 hits (2 home runs), 2 walks, and 2 strikeouts while giving up 5 runs (4 earned). However, thanks to the offense, he avoided the loss. Rios, who entered in the 7th inning, pitched 1⅔ innings, allowing 2 hits (1 home run), 0 walks, and 3 strikeouts while giving up 1 run, earning his second win of the season. Son Ju-young entered in the 9th inning with a two-run lead, pitched a scoreless inning, and recorded his 17th save of the season.

In a fierce offensive battle where both teams combined for 21 hits, LG emerged victorious thanks to their late-game focus. Leadoff hitter Song Chan-ui went 3-for-5 with 3 runs scored, while Park Hae-min, batting second, went 2-for-4 with 1 walk and 2 runs scored, setting the table. Austin became the hero with 2 hits (1 home run) in 4 at-bats, 1 walk, 4 RBIs, and 2 runs scored, including the game-winning grand slam.

For Lotte, Jeon Min-jae performed well with 3 hits in 4 at-bats and 1 run scored, following up on his performance from the previous day. Han Dong-hee, Yoon Dong-hee, and Park Chan-hyung also each hit home runs, but their efforts were overshadowed by the team's loss.

LG's lineup for the day was: Song Chan-ui (left field), Park Hae-min (center field), Austin Dean (first base), Moon Jung-bin (third base), Park Dong-won (catcher), Moon Sung-ju (designated hitter), Hong Chang-ki (right field), Gu Bon-hyeok (shortstop), and Shin Min-jae (second base). The starting pitcher was Lachlan Wells.

Lotte countered with the following lineup: Hwang Seong-bin (center field), Go Seung-min (second base), Victor Reyes (left field), Han Dong-hee (designated hitter), Yoon Dong-hee (right field), Na Seung-yeop (first base), Jeon Min-jae (shortstop), Son Ho-young (third base), and Son Seong-bin (catcher). The starting pitcher was Kim Jin-uk.

The first run belonged to the visiting team, LG. In the top of the 1st inning, leadoff hitters Song Chan-ui and Austin Dean both singled to center field, creating a one-out situation with runners on first and second. Moon Jung-bin hit a sacrifice fly to left field, giving LG a 1-0 lead.

In the top of the 3rd inning, leadoff hitter Song Chan-ui opened the scoring with a double to left-center field. Park Hae-min followed with a fake bunt-and-slash, hitting a ball to the right side for a single. At that moment, Lotte's right fielder Yoon Dong-hee fell, allowing Song Chan-ui to score and Park Hae-min to reach second base.

However, consecutive errors hampered LG. In the bottom of the 2nd inning with two outs and runners on first and second, third baseman Moon Jung-bin fielded a ball hit by Son Seong-bin but made a poor throw to first base, allowing a run to score.

In the bottom of the 3rd inning, with one out and a runner on first, Han Dong-hee hit a two-run home run over the left-field wall, followed immediately by Yoon Dong-hee's solo home run over the left-field wall, quickly extending the lead by three runs. With consecutive hits from Na Seung-yeop and Jeon Min-jae, and a ground ball out by Son Ho-young creating a one-out situation with runners on first and third, Park Dong-won's throw to third base provided the opportunity for additional runs. Moon Jung-bin attempted to tag Na Seung-yeop at home plate and asked Park Dong-won to re-throw, but failed to make the out, resulting in one additional run.

The game, which had been scoreless under strong pitching performances from both sides, reached a turning point due to an error by Lotte. In the top of the 7th inning with two outs and Lotte leading 5-2, Park Hae-min singled to left field and advanced to third base on a wild pitch. Austin drew a walk, and the pitcher was replaced from Kim Jin-uk to Hyun Do-hoon.

A ground ball hit by pinch-hitter Moon Bo-kyung was fielded by Lotte's Na Seung-yeop, who made a poor throw to Hyun Do-hoon covering first base. Meanwhile, Park Hae-min scored. The pitcher was changed again to Kim Won-joong, but Cheon Seong-ho's infield single allowed LG to score another run, narrowing the gap to 4-5.

For Lotte, one more out would have been desirable. New Asia quota pitcher Iimura entered in the top of the 8th inning and allowed consecutive hits to Shin Min-jae and Song Chan-ui with two outs. With the bases loaded after Park Hae-min drew a walk, the reliever Choi Jun-yong surrendered a left-field grand slam, allowing Lotte to fall behind 5-8.

In the bottom of the 8th inning, Lotte pinch-hitter Park Chan-hyung connected with a one-run home run to left-center field off Rios's first pitch, showing their determination to rally. LG closer Son Ju-young allowed a bases-loaded walk to Yoon Dong-hee with one out and bases loaded. However, he induced groundouts from the following batters to secure the save.

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*This content was translated by AI.