Manager Kim Tae-hyung's bold move to pull the closer in the bottom of the 9th with two outs proved effective, leading to Lee I-mu's first victory on Korean soil as the race for a top-five finish in the second half begins [Jamsil On-Site Review]

*This content was translated by AI.

The Lotte Giants defeated the Doosan Bears, avenging their loss the previous day (June 30).

On the afternoon of the 1st, at Seoul Jamsil Baseball Stadium, Lotte secured a one-run victory, 3-2, against Doosan in a 10-inning extra-inning game during the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular season away match.

With this win, Lotte improved to 34 wins, 2 ties, and 42 losses, maintaining 8th place in the league standings. Meanwhile, Doosan failed to continue their momentum from the previous day's 5-0 victory, finishing with 39 wins, 2 ties, and 39 losses, resulting in a .500 winning percentage. Doosan also retained 5th place. Lotte narrowed the gap with Doosan from five games to four, setting the stage for a fierce battle for a top-five finish in the second half.

Lotte's starting lineup for the day was: Hwang Seong-bin (center field), Go Seung-min (first base), Reyes (left field), Han Dong-hee (designated hitter), Yoon Dong-hee (right field), Jeon Min-jae (shortstop), Park Seung-wook (second base), Son Ho-young (third base), and Park Geon-woo (catcher). The starting pitcher was Rodriguez.

Compared to the previous day, Lotte switched the first baseman from Noh Jin-hyuk to Go Seung-min. Additionally, Han Dong-hee, who started at third base the day before, moved to designated hitter, while Son Ho-young took over the hot corner. Park Seung-wook filled the second base position previously held by Go Seung-min. Only shortstop Jeon Min-jae remained unchanged from the previous day.

In response, Doosan set their lineup as follows: Jung Soobin (center field), Ryu Seung-min (right field), Park Jun-soon (second base), Yang Eui-ji (catcher), Kim Min-seok (left field), Kim In-tae (designated hitter), Park Chan-ho (shortstop), Ahn Jae-seok (third base), and Kang Seung-ho (first base). The starting pitcher was Benjamin.

Compared to the previous day's lineup, Park Jun-soon moved from designated hitter to second base, while Kim In-tae took the designated hitter spot. Ahn Jae-seok, who batted sixth the day before, moved to eighth. Kang Seung-ho started at first base instead of Park Ji-hoon. Kang had been called up to the first team the previous day and earned the starting opportunity today.

While both Benjamin and Rodriguez delivered strong performances at Jamsil Stadium, Lotte was the first to break the tight 0-0 tie.

In the top of the 6th inning, with one out, Park Geon-woo reached base on a throwing error by Doosan shortstop Park Chan-ho. Park Chan-ho attempted to field the ground ball and throw to first base but made a wild throw. This error ultimately led to a run. Subsequently, Hwang Seong-bin struck out on three pitches. Go Seung-min followed with a single down the left-field line, creating a first-and-third opportunity. Reyes then hit a clean two-run single to left field, scoring Park Geon-woo from third base.

Doosan did not yield easily. Leadoff hitter Kim Min-seok hit a double down the left-field line. On the next at-bat, pinch-hitter Jo Su-haeng executed a sacrifice bunt, allowing Kim Min-seok to advance to third base. Subsequently, Park Chan-ho hit a two-run single to left field, scoring Kim Min-seok from third.

Lotte immediately regained the lead in the top of the 8th inning with a decisive blow. Facing reliever Lee Yong-chan, Hwang Seong-bin hit a double to center-left field with one out. The next batter was Go Seung-min. Hwang attempted to steal second base but was tagged out by Yang Eui-ji's accurate throw. With two outs and the runner gone, Go Seung-min came to the plate again. He drove a fastball over the right-field wall for a solo home run.

However, the game was far from over. Lotte brought in closer Choi Jun-yong in the bottom of the 9th. Leadoff hitter Yang Eui-ji forced Choi to throw 11 pitches before being retired on a fly ball to right field. However, it seemed Choi had given up too much ground in the duel with Yang. Kim Min-seok followed with a double to center-left field and was replaced by pinch runner Jeon Da-min. The next batter, Jo Su-haeng, flew out to left field. Park Chan-ho then hit a double to center-left field, and Ahn Jae-seok followed with a two-run single to left field, tying the game at 2-2. At this point, Lotte made a bold move, removing Choi Jun-yong and bringing in Lee I-mu. Lee I-mu retired Kang Seung-ho on a ground ball to second base, sending the game into extra innings.

In the top of the 10th inning, Lotte scored three runs to take control. Doosan's pitcher was still Lee Young-ha. After a single by Son Ho-young to left field and a straight walk by Kim Dong-hyuk, Park Jae-yeop's hit with two outs landed between the left fielder and shortstop. Doosan left fielder Jeon Da-min was slightly late in judging the ball, and although Park Chan-ho sprinted and extended his glove, he failed to make the catch. Both the first and second base runners scored, extending the lead to 4-2. Han Dong-hee then added a two-run double to center field, sealing a 5-2 victory for Lotte.

Lotte's starting pitcher Rodriguez pitched seven innings, allowing six hits, no walks, striking out eight, and giving up one earned run, leaving the mound without a decision. Kim Won-joong followed, striking out two batters and holding the 8th inning scoreless. While Choi Jun-yong pitched two-thirds of an inning, allowing three hits and one run, failing to complete his task, Lee I-mu threw a perfect 1⅓ innings to secure his first KBO victory. In the batting lineup, which recorded a total of 10 hits, Go Seung-min and Han Dong-hee each recorded multi-hit games.

Doosan's starting pitcher Benjamin pitched six innings, allowing three hits, striking out ten, walking none, and giving up one unearned run, but could not secure the win. Park Chi-guk and Lee Yong-chan each pitched one inning, Lee Young-ha pitched 1⅔ innings, and Kim Dong-joo pitched one-third of an inning. In Doosan's batting lineup, which recorded a total of nine hits, Kim Min-seok recorded his second consecutive three-hit game, and Park Chan-ho also achieved a three-hit game.

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*This content was translated by AI.