Lotte Giants vs LG Twins

LG broke the deadlock in the top of the second. With two outs, Koo Bon-hyuk and Hong Chang-ki strung together singles before Shin Min-jae and Park Hae-min drew consecutive walks, forcing in the game's first run. Austin Dean followed with a ground-rule double off the left-field wall, clearing the bases to make it 3-0.

Lotte struck back in the bottom half. An error and Yoon Dong-hee's single put runners on second and third with two outs, and Son Sung-bin delivered an RBI single to cut the deficit to 3-1. An inning later, Hwang Sung-bin singled, stole second, and scored on Victor Reyes's RBI single — 3-2.

The pivotal moment arrived in the fifth. LG sent ten men to the plate. Park Hae-min led off with a single, Dean doubled, and Song Chan-ui smashed a two-run double to centre. Moon Bo-gyung followed with an RBI double, making it 6-2. The onslaught continued: Koo Bon-hyuk reached on a bunt single, Lee Joo-heon walked, Hong Chang-ki was hit by a pitch to force in a run, and Park Hae-min walked with the bases loaded. By the time the inning ended, LG led 8-2.

Han Dong-hee pulled a solo home run to left in the sixth — his 16th of the season — to make it 8-3, but the Giants could get no closer.

The fifth-inning explosion transformed a tight 3-2 contest into a blowout. Lotte starter Kim Jin-wook was lifted after 4.1 innings having allowed nine hits and seven earned runs, and three relievers — Kim Do-gyu, Kim Kang-hyun and Park Jin-hyung — could not stop the bleeding. LG sent nine batters to the plate before recording the second out, effectively putting the game beyond reach.

Carlos Carrasco (LG) – The veteran right-hander delivered his fourth quality start in five KBO outings, working six innings of five-hit ball with four strikeouts and one walk. He allowed three runs (two earned) to improve to 3-1 on the season.

Song Chan-ui (LG) – Went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs, providing the decisive blow with his two-run double in the fifth.

Austin Dean (LG) – Finished 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs, starting the scoring with his second-inning bases-clearing double.

Han Dong-hee (Lotte) – The lone bright spot in the Giants' offence, launching his 16th home run of the season in the sixth.

LG out-hit Lotte 12 to 11 and drew six walks against the Giants' pitching staff. The Twins' 2-for-6 performance with runners in scoring position in the fifth alone was enough to decide the outcome. Carrasco's six-inning, three-run outing continued a strong run for the LG rotation — he has posted a 2.00 ERA over his last two starts since 22 August.

Lotte's Kim Jin-wook saw his record drop to 6-6 after allowing seven earned runs over 4.1 innings — his shortest outing since July.

The game ended after seven innings under KBO rain-shortened rules. Play was halted at 8:44 PM KST with one out and a runner on first in the bottom of the seventh. After a 51-minute delay, the game resumed for just three minutes before another downpour forced a second stoppage. After approximately 40 minutes of waiting, the umpires called the game.

LG improved to 64-1-51, keeping pace in the crowded upper half of the KBO standings. The Twins remain firmly in the playoff picture as the regular season enters its final weeks.

Lotte fell to 50-2-61 and dropped to seventh place, now mired in a four-game losing streak. The Giants have lost nine of their last 13 dating back to 16 August, and their postseason hopes continue to fade.

Both teams are scheduled to face each other again on Sunday, 30 August, at Sajik Baseball Stadium (6:00 PM KST).

LG's fifth-inning outburst turned a competitive game into a one-sided affair, and Carrasco's steady work ensured the bullpen wasn't asked to protect a slim lead through a rain-interrupted night. For Lotte, the losing streak deepens a mid-summer slide that is rapidly turning a playoff push into a salvage operation.