Professional baseball SSG Landers maintained a joint lead by beating the home team Lotte Giants at Sajik Stadium in Busan, where they reached 22,990 spectators for two days in a row.
In an away game against Lotte held at Sajik Stadium on the 21st, SSG won 6-3 thanks to Choi Jung’s final solo home run (Season No. 8) in the top of the 1st inning, starter (Kirk McCarty) and the bullpen-led mound. After winning 5-0 the previous day, SSG, who posted two consecutive victories, recorded 26 wins, 1 draw and 14 losses, maintaining a joint lead with the LG Twins. On the other hand, Lotte recorded an inferior series (based on 3 consecutive matches) for the first time since the match against Samsung Lions on April 14-16.
This 3-game series attracted a lot of attention as the group’s pride was at stake. SSG achieved a combined championship in 2022, two years after its foundation, thanks to the active moves and aggressive investment of Shinsegae Vice Chairman Jeong Yong-jin and owner of Landers. Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin also supported the baseball team with a capital increase of 19 billion won last winter.
On the 19th, when Lotte, with Park Se-woong’s 6 innings and 1 run, beat SSG 7-5, owner Jung Yong-jin wrote “Lotte is Lotte” in a reply to a follower’s post on his Instagram. It was a comment that could be seen as provoking the opponent.
Prior to the three-game series, SSG ranked first with a win rate of 0.649, and Lotte ranked second with a win rate of 0.636. A total of 64,991 spectators gathered at Sajik Stadium for three days to see the rivals they met at the top.
Lotte held this three-game series as the club’s representative fan event, the ‘Busan Series’. Tickets were 11,000 won more expensive than usual, but red camellia uniforms were presented to all spectators. Sajik Stadium was filled with ‘red waves’, and it became ‘Sajik Karaoke’ due to the cheers of the fans.
However, SSG broke Lotte’s momentum. As soon as the game started on the 21st, Choi Jeong hit a solo home run off Lotte starter Charlie Barnes. At the beginning of the 3rd inning, Guillermo Heredia and Choi Joo-hwan scored consecutive hits in the first and second bases with one company. Oh Tae-gon’s sacrifice fly then SSG ran away to 4-0.
Lotte, tied with two hits by the end of the 5th, attacked McCarty at the end of the 6th. Leading player Kim Min-seok’s double followed by Ahn Kwon-soo’s walk led to a chance. An Chi-Hong tried to bunt but withdrew due to a catcher foul fly, but Han Dong-Hee (double) and Yoon Dong-Hee’s timely hits chased 2 points. 메이저사이트
However, for Lotte, it was regrettable that Han Dong-hee’s ball hit the barbed wire at the top of the fence. In addition, SSG center fielder Choi Ji-hoon missed the ball once during Yoon Dong-hee’s timely hit, but Han Dong-hee stopped at third base and was unable to score an additional point.
SSG, which boasts a win rate of 1.000 in the game leading up to the 7th inning, blocked Lotte’s batting line with a powerful bullpen. Noh Kyung-eun, Choi Min-joon, and Ko Hyo-joon threw a scoreless run. Then, in the beginning of the ninth, Heredia hit a wedge, two RBIs, and a double.
At the end of the ninth inning, trailing by 2-6, Lotte had a chance to get the bases full against Seo Jin-yong, who had the first place in saves, but only scored one point and the loss was confirmed.
The previous day (20th), Lotte was blocked by SSG starter Kim Gwang-hyun’s strong pitching and lost the team with 2 hits, and on the 21st, it was sluggish with 5 hits, 8 walks and 3 points.