From the first win of the season to the extended 11th Lotte Cinema! Davison pitched 7 perfect innings → Eredia tied at the bottom of the 9th inning → Son Ho-young's 11th inning final hit...Stop SSG from winning 3 games in a row

Mar 25, 2025

KBO League SSG and Lotte match held at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 25th. Lotte Giants' Son Ho-young hit a timely RBI single in the top of the 11th inning with one out and runners on third base. Incheon = Song Jeong-heon Reporter's songs@sportschosun.com/2025.03.25/

KBO League SSG and Lotte match held at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 25th. 2 outs and 3rd base in the bottom of the 7th inning. Lotte Davidson, who threw Park Ji-hwan to the ground ball. Incheon = Song Jeong-heon Reporter's songs@sportschosun.com/2025.03.25/

KBO League SSG and Lotte match held at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 25th. He hit an RBI double in the fifth inning with one out and runners on second base. Incheon = Song Jeong-heon Reporter's songs@sportschosun.com/2025.03.25/

The first win of the season made me forget the anger of the opening series. However, the road to that point was too difficult.

In the first game of the week series against SSG Landers at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 25th, Lotte Giants won 3-2 after 11 extra innings and won their first victory of the season.

Foreign pitcher Tucker Davidson, who made his KBO League debut on the day, showed impressive pitching of one run in seven innings, but unfortunately missed his first win due to closing pitcher Kim Won-joong's blone. Still, Son Ho-young won his first victory of the season in the 11th inning of extra time.

Lotte manager Kim Tae-hyung, who met before the game, sighed as he looked back on the weekend when he was hit with 22 runs and seven homers. The head coach said "How can I win if I can't do well with a good pitcher. If the bullpen pitcher's fastball is less than 145km, he cannot overwhelm the batter. Rather, young pitchers have good constraints, so didn't they hold out a little bit. In the end, I think we should use it depending on the situation."

photo courtesy of Lotte Giants

As for Davison, who will make his debut, "I expect about 100 pitches. Two appearances this week..." he added.

SSG coach Lee Soo-yong said of Mitch White, the first starter whose hamstring has been completely cured, `We will not rush it and raise it carefully.' After going through bullpen pitching, live pitching, and the mound of Futures, he will closely monitor his physical condition afterwards.

Park Sung-han, the main shortstop who was hit by a pitch in the wrist in the opening game, fortunately played normally because there was no abnormality in the examination results. Regarding the reason why he put forward the left-handed lineup leading to Jihoon Choi, Jung Joon-jae, and Park Sung-han even though the opponent's starter is left-handed, "right-handedness has nothing to do with it." If you get used to it anyway, you'll play well."

KBO League SSG and Lotte match held at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 25th. SSG Moon Seung-won is pitching as a starter. Incheon = Song Jeong-heon Reporter's songs@sportschosun.com/2025.03.25/

On this day, Lotte will play in the lineup of Hwang Sung-bin (center fielder), Ko Seung-min (second base), Na Seung-yeop (first base), Reyes (left wing), Yoon Dong-hee (right wing), Jeon Joon-woo (designated hitter), Son Ho-young (third base), Jeon Min-jae (striker) and Information-geun (catcher). The first choice is Davison.

SSG is facing Jihoon Choi (middle fielder), Jung Joon-jae (second base), Park Sung-han (striker), Eredia (left fielder), Oh Tae-gon (first base), Lee Ji-young (catcher), Ko Myung-joon (designated hitter), Park Ji-hwan (third base), and Ha Jae-hoon (right fielder). Moon Seung-won stepped up to select SSG.

Lotte got off to a good start by picking the first run in the top of the first inning. After one out, Ko Seung-min walked to get on base, and Na Seung-yeop hit a double on the left field line. With runners on second and third bases with one out, Ko Seung-min homered when Reyes saw the infield ground.

photo courtesy of Lotte Giants

SSG also got on base with leadoff hitter Jihoon Choi walking in the bottom of the first inning, but Lotte Davidson's calm response and strong throwing stood out when Jung Joon-jae grounded out to the pitcher. Subsequent hits followed.

SSG succeeded in counterattack against Davison, who continued his cool pitching, at the end of the third inning. After one out, Ha Jae-hoon hit a 148km fastball in the middle of the ball count 0B2S and fired a solo shot over the left fence.

Jihoon Choi's hit continued the flow, but Davison surprised those who saw it as an outspoken front diving catch when Park Sung-han's bunt hit slightly floated. Commentator Kim Tae-kyun threw his tongue at Davison's brilliant defense one after another, saying, `It's my first game, but it's worth trying to defend this year.'

In the fourth inning, both teams failed to make a three-way exit. Lotte added one run in the top of the fifth inning.

photo courtesy of Lotte Giants

Leading hitter Son Ho-young walked, and unlike Lotte, which ranked ninth in bunt counts last year, a sacrifice bunt came out. With one out and second base, Information Geun's well-hit ball extended to the right-wing line, and fell into SSG right fielder Ha Jae-hoon's glove, making it an RBI double.

Still, Moon Seung-won went down the mound after finishing well with two runs until the sixth inning. The maximum speed of the fastball came out to 147km, and he pitched salty water with 78 pitches until the sixth inning, allowing three hits, two walks, and two runs.

Davison blocked SSG's batters without additional runs until the seventh inning with his relentless pitching. The combination of up to 148km fastballs (18) and sliders (44) exceeding 140km and slow breaking balls (15 fork balls), sweeper (8), and curve (4) were exquisite. Jung Cheol-won, who took the mound in the bottom of the eighth inning, roared hot by striking out Ha Jae-hoon to third base and Kim Jihoon Choi and Jung Joon-jae one after another.

photo courtesy of Lotte Giants

Lotte's leadoff hitter survived in the top of the seventh and ninth innings, but failed to connect with the netting point. In particular, it was regrettable that Yoon Dong-hee stepped down with a 6-4-3 double play after hitting a grand slam-level foul with the bases loaded with one out in the top of the eighth inning.

In the top of the ninth inning, leadoff hitter Jang Doo-sung survived, and a rare scene was produced in which Information Geun walked to four pitches on purpose following a stolen base. However, pinch hitter Choi Hang struck out.

Eventually, it became a source of concern. Lotte allowed a 2-2 tie in the top of the ninth inning when closer Kim Won-joong, who took the mound, gave up a mid-wall tie to SSG Eredia. Eredia did not miss the 148km fastball in the middle.

Due to the changed regulations from this season, overtime ends in a draw if the game is not decided until the 11th inning. SSG left all the 10th and 11th innings to Cho Byung-hyun.

KBO League SSG and Lotte match held at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 25th. Hitting SSG Eredia. Incheon = Song Jeong-heon Reporter's songs@sportschosun.com/2025.03.25/

Lotte's leadoff hitter Yoo Kang-nam survived in the top of the 10th inning, but after one out, Reyes' well-hit ball faced bad luck leading to a double-out following a straight hit to first base.

However, rookie Park Joon-woo blocked the bottom of the 10th inning well, and he took the opportunity again in the top of the 11th inning. SSG third baseman Park Ji-hwan caught Yoon Dong-hee's three-base hit well, but it became a bad pitch to the first base and became a second base chance with no outs.

Son Ho-young's timely RBI following Jang Doo-sung's sacrifice bunt became the winning hit. In the ensuing chance with one out and runners on the first and second bases, Information Geun stepped down with a double play.

Lotte also faced a crisis with one out and runners on first and second bases in the bottom of the 11th inning when SSG leadoff hitter Jihoon Choi walked. However, Park Jin, who was reborn as a trust man, ended the game by blocking a series of Eredia-Otaegon.