"If I step up, we'll score." The handsome leadoff hitter who replaced Ma-hwang exploded with 3 hits! How did things change? [Busan Field Report]

*This content was translated by AI.

The handsome leadoff hitter, Han Tae-yang (23), breathed new life into Lotte Giants' batting lineup.

On the 21st at Sajik Baseball Stadium in Busan, Han Tae-yang started as the team's leadoff batter and third baseman in a home game against SSG Landers in the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular season, leading Lotte to a 6-2 victory. With this win, Lotte, who had won two straight games and sat in eighth place, improved their record to 40 wins, 2 draws, and 47 losses. SSG, now in ninth place after falling into a four-game losing streak, dropped to 32 wins, 3 draws, and 55 losses.

While starting pitcher Jeremy Wisler delivered a stable performance with 6 innings pitched, allowing 5 hits, issuing 2 walks, striking out 7 batters, and giving up just 1 run, the batting lineup supported him with a total of 10 hits, both long and short. At the heart of this explosive offense was Han Tae-yang. His on-base presence preceded every run scored by Lotte in this game.

In his first at-bat of the bottom of the first inning, Han Tae-yang grounded out to third base. He then warmed up with a line drive single to center field in the bottom of the fourth. The decisive hit came in the bottom of the sixth. With two outs, Han Tae-yang stepped up again and crushed SSG starter Shota Takeda's sixth pitch—a curveball—sending it down the left-field line for a double. Following this, Go Seung-min delivered a sacrifice fly single to right field, driving in one run. Lotte then added four more runs in quick succession, completely turning the game around.

Han Tae-yang was equally fiery in his final at-bat of the eighth inning. As the leadoff batter in the bottom of the eighth, he targeted a high two-seam fastball from reliever Choi Min-jun and drove it through the gap between center and right field for another double. Just as in the sixth inning, Go Seung-min hit a double down the left-field line, allowing Han Tae-yang to score from second base. The 4-run lead was held by Shota Iimura, Jun-yong Choi, and Won-jung Kim, who allowed only one run. Lotte thus began their week with a crisp victory.

After the game, when asked about his performance, Han Tae-yang said, "Even though it had been a while since I batted leadoff, I didn't feel any pressure. I tried to get on base as much as possible to create opportunities for my teammate Seung-min and Rayes, and fortunately, it worked out well." He added, "Whether there were two outs or no outs, the batters behind me are truly excellent players. I believed that if I just stepped up, we could definitely score, so I focused solely on that situation."

Before the game, Lotte expressed concern over the absence of 'Ma-hwang' (a nickname for Ma-sung-bi). Hwang Seong-bin was sidelined due to an injury sustained when he was hit by a foul ball on his right calf in the top of the sixth inning during the game against Samsung Lions in Daegu on the 19th.

Han Tae-yang explained, "(Hwang) Seong-bin told me to play well and get out there as much as possible. I felt that my batting rhythm was improving toward the end of the first half, but when the second half began, my balance felt slightly off. However, training early in the morning with the coaches today (the 21st) led to a good result."

He added, "I didn't overthink it and tried to hit at the right timing on the first pitch. Also, reducing my weight shift and focusing on hitting from a stationary position proved effective."

Starting the second half with two consecutive losses against Samsung Lions, who were in first place, Lotte bounced back by defeating Daegu Samsung 11-8 on the 19th and have now won two straight games, successfully turning their momentum around. In response, Han Tae-yang said, "Our team's atmosphere is always great. We have a mindset that even if we fall behind, we can come back, so it was a joyful victory."

He continued, "Veterans Noh Jin-hyuk and Park Seung-wook in the infield are guiding us well. The atmosphere is truly excellent, and our goal has always been to reach the semifinals, so I will do my best in every game."

After the game, Lotte manager Kim Tae-hyung also commented, "Starting pitcher Wisler confidently threw his pitches from the beginning of the game. He delivered a quality start that held the mound steady. The relievers who followed also did their job thoroughly."

In addition to Han Tae-yang's performance, Go Seung-min recorded 2 hits in 4 at-bats with 2 RBIs and 1 run scored; Victor Rayes had 2 hits in 4 at-bats with 1 RBI and 1 run scored; and Na Seung-yeop went 2-for-3 with 2 RBIs. However, the manager singled out Han Tae-yang as having perfectly replaced Hwang Seong-bin, who was unable to play due to his calf injury.

Manager Kim Tae-hyung stated, "Han Tae-yang, who started at leadoff in place of Hwang Seong-bin, performed excellently both offensively and defensively. After conceding the first run in the top of the sixth inning, he helped our team quickly take the lead through the focus of our middle-order batters, securing the momentum for victory." He added, "I sincerely thank all the fans who came to the stadium to show their support during this home game in the second half, just as they did in the first half."

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*This content was translated by AI.