'Ko Seung-min → Han Tae-yang → Son Seong-bin → Ko Seung-min' relay home runs, 'ERA 3.18' nemesis Japanese pitcher completely shut down! Lotte leads 9-0 [Incheon]

*This content was translated by AI.

The Lotte Giants finally broke through against Japanese pitcher Shota Takeda (33, SSG Landers), who had been unusually dominant over them.

On the 13th, at Incheon SSG Landers Field, Lotte took a 9-0 lead over SSG in their regular-season away game as part of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League.

The match was expected to be difficult for Lotte. In the previous two games, Lotte struggled with only 10 hits total and had been particularly weak against Takeda, the opposing pitcher on this day.

Takeda entered the game with a season ERA of 6.89, but he had been very strong against Lotte, posting an ERA of just 3.18 across three matchups. In their first meeting on May 1, he pitched 5⅓ innings allowing only one run. On June 18, he delivered another quality start with six innings and two earned runs allowed.

However, on July 21, Lotte handed him his first loss of the season by limiting him to three earned runs over 5⅔ innings, and they faced him again today. The first two innings saw only one hit, following a similar pattern as the previous day. But in the third inning, leadoff batter Han Tae-yang drew a walk, followed by Jeon Min-jae's infield single, and Son Seong-bin's shortstop ground ball to score the first run.

Hwang Sung-bin then hit a sacrifice triple to left-center field, driving in one run, and Na Seung-yeop followed with a two-run double to right-center, extending the lead to 3-0.

The true big inning came in the fourth. Leadoff batter Ko Seong-min connected on a low slider despite being behind 0 balls and 2 strikes, sending it over the right-center field wall. A season-high 130-meter distance for his eighth home run of the year.

Han Tae-yang also cleared the fence, sending Takeda's slow 140 km/h two-seam fastball over the center field wall. A season-long 130-meter distance for his first home run of the year.

Son Seong-bin sealed it with a decisive blow. After Jeon Min-jae reached on an infield single to right, Son Seong-bin hit a low curveball down the middle and sent it far over the left-field wall. A season-high 115-meter distance for his fourth home run of the year.

Still, Takeda held strong through the fifth inning. Victor Reyes hit an infield single to right-center, and Ko Seung-min lined a first-pitch fastball over the right-field wall. A season-high 115-meter distance for his ninth home run of the year and his second consecutive multi-home run game in his career.

Before the sixth-inning defense began, Lee Geon-wook replaced Takeda on the mound. Takeda finished with five innings pitched, allowing 10 hits (including four home runs), one walk, three strikeouts, and nine earned runs.

Lotte's lineup today consisted of Hwang Sung-bin (center fielder), Na Seung-yeop (first baseman), Victor Reyes (left fielder), Han Dong-hee (designated hitter), Ko Seung-min (second baseman), Yoon Dong-hee (right fielder), Han Tae-yang (third baseman), Jeon Min-jae (shortstop), and Son Seong-bin (catcher). The starting pitcher was Alvin Rodriguez.

In response, SSG lined up with Jung Jun-jae (second baseman), Park Sung-han (shortstop), Kim Jae-hwan (designated hitter), Jeon Ui-san (first baseman), Han Yu-seom (right fielder), Choi Ji-hoon (center fielder), Bly Madris (left fielder), Jo Hyung-woo (catcher), and An Sang-hyun (third baseman). The starting pitcher was Shota Takeda.

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*This content was translated by AI.