The Lotte Giants won the season finale against the SSG Landers.
Lotte won the 16th game of the season against SSG 8-1 on April 24 at SSG Landers Field in Incheon. With the win, Lotte evened its record against SSG at 8-8 this season. Currently seventh in the standings, Lotte has closed the gap on fifth-place SSG to 4.5 games and is back in the hunt. SSG, on the other hand, took another step away from rejoining the top four with a loss after a win.
Lotte was led by a strong performance from starting pitcher Aaron Wilkerson. Wilkerson gave up a leadoff home run to Choo Shin-soo in the first inning, but he didn’t allow another run until the sixth inning.
SSG opened the scoring with a solo home run by Choo Shin-soo in the first inning, but Lotte answered right back to tie the game. With one out in the top of the second, LOTTE loaded the bases with back-to-back singles by Gudrum and Jung Dae-sun. With runners on first and second, Son Sung-bin lined a single to left off SSG starter Moon Seung-won to tie the game at 1-1.
While SSG faltered, Lotte responded. In the top of the fourth, leadoff hitter Jeon Jun-woo singled and the next batter, Jung Hoon, followed with a single to put runners on first and third. Goodrum struck out, but Jeong stole second. Jung then walked to load the bases with one out.
Working a full count, Son Sung-bin took a six-pitch slider that landed in front of the right fielder. A throwing error by SSG right fielder Han Yoo-seom gave Lotte two runners on base and a 3-1 lead.
Then, in the top of the fifth, Han Dong-hee hit a run-scoring home run. Han Dong-hee led off the fifth inning and took a 142-kilometer fastball from Moon Seung-won for a solo home run to center field. Her fifth home run of the season.
It didn’t end there. After Moon Seung-won was retired, Lotte took advantage of SSG’s second pitcher, Jong-hoon Park. After a walk, Jeon Jun-woo singled and Jung Hoon walked to load the bases again. A walk to Goodrum put runners on first and second. Jung Dae-sun got a pushing double off of Park Jong-hoon to give LOTTE a 5-1 lead.
After a brief lull, Lotte again rattled the SSG bullpen to score a run. With one out in the top of the seventh, Jung walked and Gudrum singled to put runners on first and third. Jung Dae-sun followed with a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Jung-hoon from third. Lotte pulled away with a five-run lead, 6-1.
Then came the wedge in the top of the ninth. With one out, Gudrum doubled and was replaced by pinch-hitter Hwang Sung-bin. Jung Dae-sun singled and Hwang Sung-bin came home from third base to give Lotte a 7-1 lead. Lee Hak-joo then drew a bases-loaded walk to extend LOTTE’s lead to seven runs.토토사이트
SSG was unable to score another run after Choo Shin-soo’s home run. They were held to just four hits through the eighth inning, and in their final at-bat in the bottom of the ninth, Han Yoo-seom and Choi Hang-hang singled but failed to capitalize on a subsequent double play. For Lotte, Shim Jae-min, Shin Jeong-rak and Kim Do-kyu shut the back door after Wilkerson was relieved after allowing three runs on six hits (one home run) with seven strikeouts and three walks.