"LG is also playing it like a short series," Manager Kim Tae-hyung understood the opposing manager's decision after Victor Reyes was issued an intentional walk, drawing boos from the crowd [Busan on-site report]

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When an intentional walk was issued to Victor Reyes (32), who is challenging for the KBO League's all-time hits record, loud boos erupted at Sajik Baseball Stadium. However, Lotte Manager Kim Tae-hyung (59) fully understood the choice made by the opposing bench.

Ahead of the final home game of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular season against the LG Twins, scheduled for the 10th at Sajik Baseball Stadium in Busan, Manager Kim commented on Reyes' automatic intentional walk situation from the previous day: "LG has to win, so they had no choice. Yeom Kyung-yeop, the manager of the LG Twins, is not usually the type to issue an intentional walk, but it seems they are playing it like a short series, trying to bunt and at least close the gap by one run."

Here is how the situation unfolded. In the bottom of the seventh inning of the previous day's game (the 9th), with Lotte leading 3-1, leadoff batter Yoon Dong-hee reached on a single to center field against relief pitcher John Kennedy. Hwang Seong-bin sacrificed a bunt to load second base with one out, and Reyes, who is in a fierce race for the single-season hits record with Choi Won-jun (29, KT Wiz), came to bat.

The LG bench then chose an automatic intentional walk instead of facing him. Lotte fans, who had been waiting for a hit, immediately erupted in boos. For LG, which is competing for a postseason spot, it was a choice to prevent further runs. On the other hand, for Lotte fans, it was a moment when one precious at-bat for Reyes disappeared.

Manager Kim understood both sides' positions. He reflected, "We also made a change in the fourth inning (replacing starter Kim Han-gyeol), and (Hwang) Seong-bin also wanted to bunt himself." This implied that Lotte, whose postseason bid had already ended, was not giving up on winning its remaining games either.

Ultimately, another opportunity came for Reyes. Lotte scored five runs in the seventh inning as their lineup cycled through, and Reyes came back to bat in the eighth inning, hitting a single to center field that drove in a run. Lotte defeated LG 9-1.

Support for individual titles continues on the 10th as well. Hwang Seong-bin, who is competing for the stolen base title, was placed in the leadoff spot, and Reyes was named the second-batting designated hitter so he could focus on producing hits without defensive burden.

On this day, Lotte's lineup consisted of Hwang Seong-bin (left fielder) - Victor Reyes (designated hitter) - Na Seung-yeop (first baseman) - Han Dong-hee (third baseman) - Ko Seung-min (second baseman) - Jeon Min-jae (shortstop) - Son Seong-bin (catcher) - Yoon Dong-hee (right fielder) - Jang Doo-seong (center fielder). The starting pitcher is Na Gyun-an.

In response, LG's lineup was Hong Chang-gi (right fielder) - Park Hae-min (center fielder) - Austin Dean (designated hitter) - Moon Jeong-bin (first baseman) - Moon Bo-kyung (third baseman) - Song Chan-ui (left fielder) - Koo Bon-hyeok (shortstop) - Lee Ju-heon (catcher) - Shin Min-jae (second baseman). The starting pitcher is Anders Tolhurst.

The impressive pitching of rookie Kim Han-gyeol (20) also stood out the previous day. Starting, Kim Han-gyeol pitched four innings, allowing one hit (one home run), four walks, and one earned run while striking out five, holding up against the LG lineup. He suppressed hard contact by utilizing a variety of pitches, including a four-seam fastball with a top speed of 145 km/h, as well as a forkball, two-seam fastball, curveball, and cutter.

Manager Kim evaluated, "(Kim) Han-gyeol's control was not at his best, but the LG batters gave him a lot of help by making contact." He added, "His performance was good when he first started, but it seems his velocity has dropped by about 4 km/h compared to then. His recent pace has slowed a bit, but his breaking balls were good, and Son Seong-bin handled the pitching well, helping him out."

Another rookie, Park Jeong-min (23), still has a chance at his 10th win. Manager Kim revealed, "Yesterday, we initially planned to start (Park) Jeong-min first, but ended up starting (Choi) Jun-yong. Still, we are keeping Park Jeong-min's 10th win in mind."

Although the autumn baseball season was cut short, the competition for individual records and wins is not over. In particular, this day marks the final game of the season at Sajik where fans can meet the team.

Manager Kim said, "Today is also our last home game, so shouldn't we win and say goodbye to the fans?" signaling a full-strength effort until the very end.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original