'20 pitches → 10 pitches → 10 pitches': Lotte's guardian, despite the nightmare of a bases-loaded home run, volunteered for a three-game streak! The manager also sent a message of gratitude: "Thanks to him, we held on to the victory" [Busan]

*This content was translated by AI.

Lotte Giants manager Kim Tae-hyung (59) expressed his gratitude to closer Choi Jun-yong (24), who took the mound despite difficult circumstances to secure the win.

On the 28th, Lotte defeated LG 11-9 in a regular-season home game at Sajik Baseball Stadium in Busan as part of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League.

It was a classic El-Lotte-Rico (the term for the LG vs. Lotte rivalry) matchup for the first time in a while. Just as the previous day saw both teams trading 21 hits in a nail-biting contest until the final out, the same intensity carried over today. Lotte could not relax even while leading 11-9 heading into the bottom of the 9th inning. This was due to Austin Dean's two-run home run to left-center field in the top of the 8th.

Earlier, starting pitcher Jeremy Bissell was removed after allowing four runs in 4⅓ innings following a headshot. Consequently, Lotte had to deploy five pitchers through the 8th inning to protect the lead. The only consolation was that Iimura Shota, the new Asia quota pitcher, held the line for two innings in the 7th and 8th, allowing only two runs.

Ultimately, closer Choi Jun-yong took the mound in the bottom of the 9th. Before the game, Lotte manager Kim Tae-hyung had stated his intention not to use Choi Jun-yong or Kim Won-joong in this contest, as both had pitched on the previous two days. In particular, Choi Jun-yong had appeared in relief with two outs and bases loaded the day before, surrendering a go-ahead bases-loaded home run to Austin, making his situation appear precarious.

Although he threw only 10 pitches and came down, he had thrown 20 pitches in the game on the 26th, so rest seemed necessary.

However, Choi Jun-yong took the mound once again. He allowed consecutive hits to Moon Sung-ju and Shin Min-jae, but received help from catcher Son Seong-bin. Son Seong-bin caught the first pitch and immediately threw to second base, tagging out Moon Sung-ju, the runner on second. Choi Jun-yong then induced a 4-6-3 double play on three pitches against Koo Bon-hyuk, securing the team victory and completely washing away the nightmare from the previous day. It was his 14th save of the season.

The manager did not forget that pitch. After the game, manager Kim Tae-hyung said, "The players' desire to win came together to secure this important game. Choi Jun-yong, who volunteered to pitch in the 9th under difficult circumstances, cleanly held the inning and allowed us to keep the victory," offering his first words of gratitude to Choi Jun-yong.

It was a game where the batting slump that had persisted throughout June was completely revitalized. No. 9 batter Son Seong-bin went 4-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored, while No. 7 batter Ko Seung-min went 3-for-2 with one home run, one walk, six RBIs, and two runs scored, making the lower-order lineup's performance impressive. Victor Reyes and Han Dong-hee, the cleanup hitters, also contributed with 4-for-4, one walk, and two runs each. Lotte hit a total of 14 hits, ensuring they did not lose the batting battle to LG's 15 hits.

With this victory, Lotte improved their season record against NC Dinos and LG, who had previously held the advantage, to 4 wins and 2 losses. Until last week, Lotte trailed NC with a 2-7 record and LG with a 3-6 record.

However, by winning each series 2-1, Lotte improved their overall record to 33 wins, 2 ties, and 41 losses, maintaining a two-game lead over the 7th-place NC Dinos (35 wins, 1 tie, 39 losses), who also won on the same day. LG, with a record of 48 wins and 29 losses, allowed the 2nd-place Samsung Lions (44 wins, 2 ties, 30 losses) to close the gap to 2.5 games.

Manager Kim Tae-hyung said, "I would like to thank the entire team once again for their hard work during this six-game home series. I also want to express my sincere gratitude to the fans who filled the stadium with a full house and provided enthusiastic support."

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

*This content was translated by AI.