It was still spring. Lotte Giants’ hot spring has just begun.
Lotte failed to make it to the last place. Lotte won all three consecutive home games against the KIA Tigers at Sajik Stadium in Busan from Friday to Sunday. The Lotte Giants defeated the KIA bullpen by banking on Charlie Barnes’ pitching of one run in seven ⅔ innings on the first day, and laughed 6 to 1 from the first day of the series.
On the second day as well, the starting pitcher’s good pitching was outstanding. Park Se-woong blocked KIA’s batting lineup by allowing one run for as many as eight innings, and Lotte hitters scored points from the beginning. Last-minute closing pitcher Kim Won-joong was shaken up with two hits and two walks, but luck followed as KIA runners’ bonhead plays overlapped, and he was able to win 4-2.
On the final day of the series, the team achieved a landslide win. Aaron Wilkerson allowed three runs in seven innings to achieve QS+, and Kia’s starting pitcher Kim Sa-yoon allowed three runs (non-earning) in one inning, making the game difficult. Lotte won the game 10-6 with the final score, as the ninth batter, Lee Hak-joo, hit two home runs and scored 15 hits to 10 points. 메이저놀이터
Three consecutive series sweeps. It is the first time in 1862 days that Lotte won a sweep in the three consecutive series against KIA since April 16-18, 2019. Above all, Lotte, which was the last place before the series, has won three games against KIA, creating the best scenario for the team to rebound.
After finishing the three consecutive KIA games, Lotte ranked second among the 10 teams in May with 10 wins, 1 draw and 6 losses, and a 0.625. The Doosan Bears ranks first in May with 13 wins, 2 draws, and 4 losses, with a 0.765.
After winning the match against KIA on Sunday, Lotte even ended up losing the game. Hanwha, which lost to LG on the same day, fell to the bottom of the list, and Lotte rose to the ninth place. Lotte ranked 10th in 30 days after falling from ninth place to 10th place on April 24. It is only a half-game behind Kiwoom, which ranks eighth, and one game behind KT, which ranks seventh. Although it is difficult to narrow it down immediately due to its five-game gap with SSG, which ranks fifth, the team has now advanced to the point where it can easily overcome at least the seventh place.
Lotte, which struggled in the early days of the season due to injury of key players, poor batting performance and poor collective performance of veteran players, seems to be getting more and more revived in May. Starting pitchers including Barnes, Wilkerson and Park Se-woong added stability, and young fielders such as Na Seung-yeop, Hwang Sung-bin and Yoon Dong-hee made remarkable strides. On top of that, Yoo Kang-nam is showing signs of revival recently, which energizes the entire team. Lotte will hold three consecutive games against Samsung, which is tied for third place, at Sajik Home this weekend. Despite being a tough opponent, we can expect to see another rise in the ranking given the current atmosphere in which Korea beat Kia.