The winning series, 3 consecutive wins, and hot momentum almost disappeared in one inning. Lotte learned another painful lesson on the 27th.

Lotte learned a lesson that solid mound management is desperately needed for a sure victory.

Lotte won 6-5 in the 4th game of the season against Kiwoom in the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League held at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on the 27th. Lotte seemed to win easily by scoring 6 points at once in the 7th inning, but gave up 5 points at once in Kiwoom at the end of the 9th inning. Lotte won a sweat by catching a ground ball from Kiwoom Lee Jung-hoo.

Lotte seemed to achieve a smooth victory in the 7th inning of the game that day. Momentum came to Lotte. Lotte scored 6 points at once in the 7th inning and completely secured the initiative of the game. The main character of the big inning was Lotte’s bottom line. Lotte got on base in the 7th inning when Noh Jin-hyeok, the 6th hitter, got a hit in the infield in front of the pitcher in a one-out situation. With Han Dong-hee’s hit, Lotte faced a scoring situation with 1 company and 1st and 2nd base. 8th hitter Yoo Kang-nam split left-middle and called Noh Jin-hyeok, who was on second base, home and scored the final run with one RBI. Kwon-soo Ahn, the 9th hitter, broke Kiwoom’s forward defense and scored a hit to the right of the shortstop, giving Han Dong-hee and Yoo Gang-nam a run. Lotte took a 3-0 lead.

Lotte continued the momentum of scoring made in the lower batting line to the upper batting line. Lotte added 3 points with 2nd Park Seung-wook, 3rd Jeon Jun-woo, 4th An Chi-hong and 5th Yoon Dong-hee making four hits in a row. Lotte widened the score gap with Kiwoom to 6-0.

But episode 9 was the exact opposite. Lotte put Jin Seung-hyun on the mound in the last defense at the end of the ninth, leading 6-0. Jin Seung-hyeon allowed consecutive hits and walks and went down the mound with the bases loaded with one out. Veteran Myung-Jun Yoon, who came up next, struck out Won-Seok Lee, but allowed rookie Dong-Hun Kim to hit 2 RBIs in a timely manner.

In the end, Lotte had to raise Kim Won-jung to finish in a 6-2 situation. Kim Won-joong allowed a push walk and two RBIs in a timely manner. Kim Won-joong induced Lee Jung-hoo to a ground ball and caught the last out count. It was a win, but it was a bittersweet victory.

After winning the game in the 7th inning, Lotte seemed to be winning comfortably by giving Pilseung Gyetujo a break. However, the 9th inning did not go smoothly, and in the end, the team won by 6-5, 1 point. If he had suffered a come-from-behind defeat at the end, he would have lost his 3 consecutive wins, his 4 consecutive wins against Kiwoom, and his momentum.

On the other hand,안전놀이터 Lotte will play as a starting pitcher in the last game of three consecutive away matches against Kiwoom on the 28th.