'A full 90 minutes of rain delay' — even Kim Jin-wook, who was trusted, collapsed with 4⅓ innings and 7 earned runs. Lotte shocked by four-game losing streak; LG wins via 7th-inning rain-shortened game [Busan on-site review]

*This content was translated by AI.

The LG Twins defeated the Lotte Giants thanks to stable pitching from starting pitcher Carlos Kara-sco and a series of powerful hits. For Lotte, it was a major blow that their trusted ace, Kim Jin-wook, could not last through the fifth inning before collapsing.

On the 29th at Sajik Baseball Stadium in Busan, LG secured an 8-3 victory over Lotte via a rain-shortened game ending in the 7th inning, with a total attendance of 22,212 spectators. With this result, fourth-place LG maintained its lead over third-place KIA Tigers (62 wins, 2 draws, 50 losses) at 64 wins, 1 draw, and 51 losses. Meanwhile, Lotte, now in a four-game losing streak and sitting seventh, recorded 50 wins, 2 draws, and 61 losses.

The starting pitcher matchup yielded contrasting results. LG's Kara-sco pitched six innings, allowing five hits (one home run), issuing two walks, striking out four batters, and giving up three earned runs (two unearned). This marked his fourth quality start of the season (six or more innings with three or fewer earned runs) and his third win (with one loss) of the year. Lotte's Kim Jin-wook lasted 4⅓ innings, allowing nine hits, issuing two walks, striking out four batters, and surrendering seven earned runs, resulting in his sixth loss (with six wins) of the season.

A sudden downpour hit the Busan area on this day, causing rain delays twice during the seventh inning — for 51 minutes and then 40 minutes — extending the game time. Despite groundkeepers completing field preparations each time, heavy rain resumed immediately, forcing further suspensions. Eventually, around 10:17 p.m., the umpiring crew declared a rain-shortened victory for LG.

Kara-sco's four-seam fastball reached a top speed of just 147 km/h. However, he mixed in 26 cutter pitches, 22 two-seam fastballs, 14 forkballs, 11 four-seam fastballs, nine sliders, and six curveballs — totaling 89 pitches — to hold the line through six innings. He demonstrated excellent crisis management, including two consecutive three-up, three-down innings and finishing an inning with just two pitches in a bases-loaded, two-out situation in the second inning following a fielding error by Son Yong-jun on a foul ball.

The LG lineup also provided ample support for Kara-sco. They drew seven walks and recorded 11 total hits (including long and short hits), creating two big innings. The top of the fifth inning, when LG led 3-2, proved to be the turning point. Park Hae-min hit a ground-rule double to right field, followed by Austin Dean's line-drive double down the left-field line, putting runners on second and third with no outs. Song Chan-ui then hit a two-run double off the left-center field wall, and substitute batter Moon Bo-kyung added a one-run double toward the left-field fence, forcing Kim Jin-wook off the mound.

Koo Bon-hyuk then bunted to disrupt pitcher Han Han-gyeol, and Lee Ju-heon drew a walk to load the bases with no outs. Hong Chang-gi was hit by a pitch, and Park Hae-min drew another walk to score two runs via a bases-loaded walk.

Among LG's hitters, Song Chan-ui went 3-for-4 with two RBIs; Austin Dean went 2-for-5 with two RBIs; Park Hae-min went 1-for-3 with two walks and two RBIs; and Koo Bon-hyuk went 2-for-4. For Lotte, Han Dong-hee recorded one hit (a home run) in three at-bats, driving in one run and scoring twice.

On this day, LG lined up its batting order as follows: Shin Min-jae (second baseman), Park Hae-min (center fielder), Austin Dean (first baseman), Song Chan-ui (left fielder), Moon Jung-bin (designated hitter), Son Yong-jun (third baseman), Koo Bon-hyuk (shortstop), Lee Ju-heon (catcher), and Hong Chang-gi (right fielder). The starting pitcher was Carlos Kara-sco.

Lotte countered with the following lineup: Hwang Seong-bin (center fielder), Na Seung-yeop (designated hitter), Victor Reyes (left fielder), Han Dong-hee (third baseman), Go Seung-min (first baseman), Jeon Min-jae (shortstop), Yoon Dong-hee (right fielder), Son Seong-bin (catcher), and Han Tae-yang (second baseman). The starting pitcher was Kim Jin-wook.

The first run came from the visiting team, LG. In the top of the second inning with one out, Koo Bon-hyuk hit a ground ball single to center field, followed by Hong Chang-gi's ground ball single to right field and Shin Min-jae drawing a walk, loading the bases with two outs. Park Hae-min then drew a bases-loaded walk to score the first run, and Austin Dean hit a large two-run double off the left-field wall. LG took a 3-0 lead.

Lotte responded in the bottom of the second inning. A fielding error by third baseman Son Yong-jun allowed Han Dong-hee to reach base, and Yoon Dong-hee followed with a ground ball single to center field, creating a two-out, runners-on-first-and-second situation. Son Seong-bin then attacked Kara-sco's first pitch, driving in one run with a bases-loaded single to center field. In the bottom of the third inning, Hwang Seong-bin hit a ground ball single to right field and stole second base, putting a runner on second with one out. Reyes then drove in another run with a sacrifice fly to right field.

However, Lotte's pitching staff collapsed in the fifth inning, allowing five runs including two consecutive bases-loaded walks, shifting momentum firmly to LG. In the bottom of the sixth inning, Han Dong-hee hit a solo home run to cut the deficit by one run, but it was not enough. Lotte fell into a four-game losing streak.

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*This content was translated by AI.