"With excellent colleagues in Korea" 1st inning double → 2nd inning hit → 3rd inning hit → 5th inning hit → substituted in the 7th; now aiming to make history as KBO's first foreign investor!

*This content was translated by AI.

Will Victor Reyes (32, Lotte Giants) be able to write history as the first foreign player? The possibility of this becoming reality is growing steadily.

On the 7th, Lotte secured a 10-2 victory over KIA Tigers in their regular-season home game at Busan Sajik Baseball Stadium for the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League.

With this win, Lotte improved to 37 wins, 2 draws, and 44 losses, maintaining 8th place in the league. They trail 7th-place NC Dinos by 2.5 games and have narrowed the gap to 5th-place Doosan Bears to just four games.

Reyes started the game as the third hitter and left fielder, going 4-for-4 with a double, two RBIs, and two runs scored, playing energetically and contributing significantly to the team's victory.

Reyes came to bat four times in total during the game—in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th innings—and was substituted after recording a hit in each at-bat.

In the 1st inning, with one out and runners on third base, Reyes faced KIA starting pitcher Kim Tae-hyung and launched a two-run double to center-left field, tying the game for his team. In the 2nd inning, with two outs and no runners on base, he hit a single to center-left field. Then in the 3rd inning, with two outs and runners on first and second, he drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to left-center field.

That was not the end of his performance. In the 5th inning, leading off the frame, Reyes hit a sacrifice fly to center field against KIA's reliever Kim Si-hoon, completing his four-hit game. With Lotte leading 9-1 in the 7th inning and one out with no runners on base, he was replaced by pinch hitter Noh Jin-hyuk, concluding his day at the plate.

After the game, Reyes said, "Today was a really important game, and I'm happy we won. It feels like we've created a great opportunity to take another step forward as we head into the second half of the season."

He continued, "The fact that I can play baseball here in Korea with excellent colleagues is itself a source of happiness. Most importantly, my family has come to Korea and is supporting me, which gives me great strength. Seeing them come to the stadium to cheer for us and spend joyful times together with fans motivates me even more."

Reyes added, "I tried to focus on making precise contact as much as possible, and I'm satisfied that good hits turned into hits. Since our team has been maintaining a strong momentum and securing many wins recently, I hope we can continue this upward trend through the second half of the season."

Finally, he promised, "Now, during the All-Star break, I will rest well and recover so that I can start the second half in even better shape. I will do my utmost until the end to help the team reach the postseason."

Reyes has played in 83 games this season, posting a .348 batting average (114 hits in 328 at-bats), 11 home runs, 18 doubles, one triple, 60 RBIs, 41 runs scored, 32 walks, and 40 strikeouts. His slugging percentage stands at .509, on-base percentage at .405, OPS (on-base plus slugging) at .914, and batting average with runners in scoring position at .407.

Notably, he has narrowed the gap to just one hit behind league leader Choi Won-jun of KT Wiz (115 hits) in total hits. He is also currently second in batting average.

When Reyes first stepped onto the KBO League stage in the 2024 season, he recorded 202 hits, claiming the title for most hits in a single season. At that time, he surpassed the previous record of 201 hits set by Seo Geon-chang in 2014, writing new history. Last season, Reyes also hit 187 hits, securing back-to-back titles as the league's hit leader. He also won the Golden Glove award for two consecutive years.

If Reyes wins the hit title again this season, he will become the first foreign player in KBO history to lead the league in hits for three consecutive seasons. Over his last 10 games, Reyes has maintained a .350 batting average (14 hits in 40 at-bats), putting him in a position where he can realistically challenge for the title. Will Reyes be able to meet the expectations of Lotte fans and write history?

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*This content was translated by AI.