Leading with a 20-year-old rookie, 'six games, seven attempts' winning series! The 9th-place team's skipper thanked "three more" coaches: "Effectively targeted the ace... excellent defense throughout the series." [Busan]

*This content was translated by AI.

It has been a full month since they last enjoyed a winning series. SSG Landers manager Lee Seung-yong encouraged his players and expressed gratitude to fans.

On the 23rd, SSG secured a 5-2 victory over Lotte Giants in an away game at Busan Sajik Baseball Stadium during the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular season.

With this win, SSG improved to 2 wins and 1 loss, achieving a winning series after six games and seven attempts following their June 19–21 matchup against Changwon NC Dinos.

Rookie Kim Min-jun (20) delivered an outstanding quality start (six or more innings with three or fewer earned runs), standing out as the highlight. Kim threw a total of 95 pitches, including his fastest pitch at 149 km/h (48 pitches), sliders (21 pitches), forkballs (16 pitches), and curveballs (10 pitches), holding the Lotte lineup to just two hits over six innings.

After the game, manager Lee Seung-yong praised Kim Min-jun: "The rookie Kim Min-jun confidently faced off against the opposing foreign pitcher and delivered his own pitches with spirit. His skills have noticeably improved as the games progress."

The lineup's well-structured performance shone through on consecutive days. In the top of the first inning, leadoff hitter Jung Jun-jae reached base with a single to left field, followed by second batter Park Sung-han hitting a triple to right field for an early run, easing the pressure on the rookie. Notably, Jung Jun-jae stabilized the infield's slightly shaky balance with his steady defense.

Veteran Kim Jae-hwan hit a solo home run over the fence in the top of the third inning, recording consecutive RBIs for two straight days. In the top of the eighth with one out and runners on first and second, Jo Hyung-woo drove in two runs with a double to center field that cleared the wall, sealing the victory.

Manager Lee Seung-yong stated: "In terms of offense, the table-setters Jung Jun-jae and Park Sung-han effectively targeted the opposing ace from the early stages of the game, setting up a favorable momentum."

He added: "In this tight game, Jo Hyung-woo's two-run hit in the eighth inning allowed us to fully seize control. I also want to commend Jung Jun-jae for his excellent defense throughout the series, which lightened the pitchers' burden."

The manager took care of fans who traveled to support the team despite scorching temperatures exceeding 30 degrees throughout the series. A total of 16,072 spectators gathered at Sajik Baseball Stadium on this day.

Manager Lee Seung-yong conveyed his heartfelt message: "I want to thank all players for giving their best on the field even in such hot weather. It is deeply meaningful that we could repay the fans who traveled all the way to Busan to cheer for us with a winning series. We will do our utmost to maintain this positive momentum during the upcoming three-game home series this weekend."

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*This content was translated by AI.