'The 'Bukangi Effect' is amazing.' Lotte wins again and again! They overturned a 0-4 deficit to capture the '7-game winning streak LG'... now just 1.5 games behind 6th place.

*This content was translated by AI.

After a shark appeared at Busan's North Port, the 'Giant' truly forgot how to lose. This time, they even caught the LG Twins, who were on a 7-game winning streak after overcoming a 4-run deficit.

The Lotte Giants defeated LG 6-4 in a comeback victory during their away game at Seoul Jamsil Baseball Stadium on the 24th as part of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular season.

This marks their sixth consecutive win. The 7th-place Lotte, now with 59 wins, 2 ties, and 71 losses, closed the gap to just 1.5 games behind the 6th-place NC Dinos (60 wins, 2 ties, 69 losses), who lost to KT Wiz on the same day. Meanwhile, LG's 7-game winning streak ended, leaving them with 75 wins, 1 tie, and 56 losses, widening their gap to 3.5 games behind the 2nd-place Samsung Lions (78 wins, 3 ties, 52 losses).

It has now become a joke that the 'Bukangi Effect' is real. On the 18th, a shark approximately 3.5 meters long appeared at the Bukhang Waterfront Park in Dong-gu, Busan. Estimated by the National Fisheries Research and Development Institute to be a whale shark, it remained in the waterway for several days, revealing itself to citizens, and soon earned the nickname 'Bukangi,' becoming a new landmark of Busan.

Coincidentally, since the day Bukangi appeared in Busan, Lotte has never lost once. They are 6-0. Even more surprising was the game content against LG that day. LG had been on a 7-game winning streak and was the league's strongest rising team. Moreover, Lotte fell behind 0-4 after surrendering four runs only in the bottom of the third inning.

However, for the Lotte lineup buoyed by Bukangi's energy, four runs were enough to turn the tide. In the top of the fifth, leadoff hitter Han Tae-yang (23) drew a walk, and Hwang Seong-bin (29) reached base with an infield single, opening the door for their comeback.

Na Seung-yeop (24) delivered a two-run double to center field, scoring the first run, while Victor Reyes (32) also hit a two-run single to left field. During this play, LG's left fielder Song Chan-ui (27) failed to catch the ball on the first try, allowing runners to advance to second and third base.

Lotte did not stop. Jeon Min-jae (27) hit a two-run single to right field, narrowing the gap to one run, and Son Seong-bin (24) exploded with a two-run double down the left-center gap. In an instant, the score flipped from 0-4 to 5-4. In the top of the eighth, Na Seung-yeop hit a two-run single to left field against reliever Son Ju-young (28), extending the lead to 6-4 with two outs and runners on second base.

Lotte once again unleashed 15 hits, both long and short. Na Seung-yeop went 2-for-5 with two RBIs and one run scored; Reyes was 2-for-5 with one RBI and one run; Son Seong-bin contributed two hits in five at-bats, including the go-ahead hit, for two RBIs. Jeon Min-jae, Han Dong-hee (27), and Hwang Seong-bin also added multi-hit performances.

Starting pitcher Alvin Rodriguez (28) allowed six hits, two walks, one hit-by-pitch, and four earned runs over five innings but secured his 10th win of the season (11 losses) thanks to strong offensive support. LG's starter Anders Tollhurst (27) gave up 11 hits, one walk, and five earned runs in 4⅔ innings, taking on his 10th loss of the season (12 wins).

Early in the game, both managers came onto the field due to a controversial call. With the score tied 0-0 in the bottom of the third, two outs, and runners on second base, Reyes was at bat when Tollhurst's pitch hit catcher Lee Ju-heon (23) and rolled toward the LG dugout. While the ball was being searched for, runner Hwang Seong-bin scored from second base.

The initial ruling was a live-ball run. However, LG manager Yeom Kyung-yeop (58) protested that the ball had crossed the dead-ball line before returning to the field. After consultation among the four umpires, only Hwang's advance to third base was recognized. Kim Tae-hyung (59), Lotte's manager, requested an explanation from the umpiring crew and returned after about five minutes, at which point play resumed. Reyes then flew out to center field, and Lotte failed to score.

LG quickly capitalized after overcoming the crisis. Shin Min-jae (30) hit a double to center field, followed by a walk from Gu Bon-hyeok (29), creating scoring opportunities. Song Chan-ui then hit a two-run single down the left-center gap. An error by catcher Son Seong-bin added another run, and Moon Jung-bin (22)'s RBI triple and Oh Ji-hwan (36)'s RBI double extended the lead to 4-0 in an instant.

But that was all LG could manage. Lotte scored five runs in the fifth inning alone, turning the game around, and held on to their lead until the end.

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*This content was translated by AI.