Kang Baek-ho leads KT to 7-4 win…Lotte loses fourth straight

The KT Wiz defeated the Lotte Giants behind a home run by Kang Baek-ho and a walk-off single by Jang Sung-woo.

KT won 7-4 at home against Lotte in the 2024 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League on Thursday at KT Wiz Park in Suwon, South Korea.

KT, which snapped a three-game losing streak with the win, moved into seventh place with 18 wins, one draw and 24 losses. Lotte, which suffered its fourth straight loss, dropped to 10th place with 13 wins, one draw and 25 losses.

KT starter Uhm Sang-baek allowed two runs on four hits (one home run) and two walks in six innings with seven strikeouts. He was in danger of losing the game when the bats didn’t come alive, but a home run by Kang Baek-ho erased the deficit. Kim Min-soo earned the win with one run on two hits (one home run) in one inning of relief. Park Young-hyun earned his fourth save of the season with a perfect first inning.

At the plate, Kang Baek-ho was the star of the show. He went 4-for-5 with two doubles, one home run, one walk, two runs scored, and three RBIs. His 13th home run of the season tied him for first place in the league. Jang Jang-woo also chipped in with an RBI double in the eighth inning.

LOTTE starter Barnes pitched six innings, allowing one run on six hits and three walks with nine strikeouts, but the bullpen’s fireworks cost him the win. Jeon Mir took the loss, allowing two runs on two hits with two walks and two strikeouts in 1.1 innings.

The game was a pitcher’s duel. KT had runners on first and second with no outs in the first inning and runners on first and third with two outs in the second inning. Barnes showed off his crisis management skills and did not allow a run.

However, KT took the lead in the third inning. After a leadoff double by Rojas, Kim Min-hyuk hit a single that slipped through the 1-2 count, bringing Rojas home.

Lotte answered right back. In the bottom of the fourth 안전놀이터 inning, Reyes hit a line drive to right field that Rojas failed to locate and turned into a triple. Jun-woo Jeon followed with a single to left-center to tie the game.

Yoo Kang-nam also stepped up. In the fifth inning, Yoo came up to bat and hit a 129-kilometer changeup from Uhm Sang-baek for a huge 130-meter home run. It was Yoo’s first home run of the season.

Lotte added a run in the seventh inning on an infield single by Lee Hak-joo to make it 3-0.

That’s when Kang Baek-ho came into the game. In the bottom of the seventh, KT had runners on first and second after Rojas singled and Kim Min-hyuk walked. Manager Kim Tae-hyung brought in Pil Seung-jo Choi Jun-yong to try to put out the fire, and Kang Baek-ho hit a 142-kilometer fastball over the left field wall for a three-run home run. It was Baek-ho Kang’s 13th home run of the season.

Lotte fought back with a home run of their own. In the eighth inning, Jeon Jun-woo tied the game with a solo shot off Kim Min. Jun-woo Jeon’s seventh home run of the season. The home run was caught by a spectator with his glove, prompting KT to request a video review of the home run. The video review upheld the original call, and Jeon was awarded the home run.

In the promised eighth inning, KT struck again. After leadoff hitter Chun Sung-ho singled, KT put runners on second and third with a sacrifice bunt by Shin Bon-ki and a grounder by Rojas. Kim Min-hyuk drew a walk, and with Kang Baek-ho at the plate, Lotte chose to face Jang Sung-woo on a wild pitch. Jang Jang-woo hit a three-run double off Han Hyun-hee in a six-pitch battle to give KT the lead.

Lee Kang-cheol brought in Park Young-hyun to close out the ninth inning, and he got a triple play to end the game.