It's time for Yoon Goseok + Jeong Cheolwon to revive! 12 wins and 9 losses in July → Can Lotte solidify its top three? The difference between 4th place and 5G

Aug 01, 2025

A game between KIA and Lotte at Sajik Stadium in Busan on the 26th. Son Ho-young is happy after hitting an RBI double with one out in the bottom of the first inning. Busan = Reporter Jeong Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2025.7.26/

The match between KIA and Lotte at Sajik Stadium in Busan on the 25th. In the bottom of the seventh inning, Han Tae-yang is happy after hitting a timely two-run hit with two outs and runners on the second and third bases. Busan = Reporter Jeong Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2025.7.25/

The match between KIA and Lotte at Sajik Stadium in Busan on the 25th. Yoon Dong-hee is cheering after hitting a two-run shot with one out in the bottom of the fourth inning. Busan = Reporter Jeong Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2025.7.25/

Already, the gap from fourth place has widened to five games. He slowly pushed the stage of a fierce ranking fight with a difference of one or two games under his feet.

The Lotte Giants recorded 12 wins and 9 losses in July, ranking third in monthly winning percentage after the Hanwha Eagles (14 wins, 5 losses, 2 draws) and the LG Twins (14 wins, 7 losses).

It is interesting that the first to third teams in July are still first to third in the ranking table. The gap between the rankings, which was once closely lined up from No. 1 to No. 8 and No. 9, is also widening.

The top three teams took advantage of this rise to further widen their gap with the middle ranks. There are two games difference between the top-ranked Hanwha Eagles and the second-ranked LG Twins, and the third-ranked Lotte Giants. However, Lotte and the fourth-ranked SSG Landers are five games apart. There are five teams from SSG to the eighth-ranked NC Dinos, but the difference between them is only two games.

Hanwha-LG is still maintaining the '2 top' system that has continued since the beginning of the season, and Lotte is starting to solidify its position after regaining the third place, which was briefly given up to the threat of the KIA Tigers. While KIA fell to sixth place as it fell to a long losing streak, and KT Wiz stumbled, SSG rose back to fourth place.

The game between KIA and Lotte at Sajik Stadium in Busan on the 27th. Jeon Joon-woo, with two outs and runners on the second and third bases, is cheering with Ko Seung-min as he comes in as a pinch runner after hitting a two-run double in the bottom of the eighth inning. Busan = Reporter Jeong Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2025.7.27/

Son Ho-young, Yoon Dong-hee, and Ko Seung-min, who returned from injury, stand out in the lineup for a month. Son Ho-young hit .44 (11 hits in 25 at-bats) including the bases loaded on July 31. Yoon Dong-hee (12 hits in 33 at-bats) and Ko Seung-min (12 hits in 36 at-bats) who are also leading the team's batting lineup.

Among the emerging newcomers, Han Tae-yang stands out. Han Tae-yang, who had a batting average of 316 (12 hits in 38 times at bat) for one month in June, continued to hit .340 on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) in July.

On the other hand, Reyes, who has been playing in Jeon Kyung-gi since last year, and Jeon Jun-woo, the oldest player who has been playing a similar number of games, have also borne considerable burden on defense this season. In addition to the heat, the bat became somewhat dull. Reyes' monthly batting average fell below .300 for the first time since his debut in Korean baseball last year with a batting average of .95. Jeon Joon-woo, who led the team's batting lineup in the first half, was also somewhat sluggish with 257 percent.

The match between KIA and Lotte at Sajik Stadium in Busan on the 25th. Jung Chul-won, who took the mound in the top of the sixth inning and finished the inning without losing a point, is coming in with a confident look. Busan = Reporter Jeong Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2025.7.25/

In the pitching staff, Gamboa (2-1 with a 1.46 ERA in 24 ⅔ innings in 4 games) and Lee Min-seok (with a 2.45 ERA in 22 innings in 4 games) who continued a pleasant pitching march showed the weight of the revived Jung Cheol-won. Jung Cheol-won took the mound in 12 games and played 11 ⅓ in July, recording a record of 1 loss and 4 holds with a 2.38 ERA, keeping his waist firmly.

Davison's slump, on the other hand, now feels serious. In five games, he recorded 26 ⅔ innings, 3-1 with a 4.05 ERA. The monthly ERA was 4.05, exceeding the four-point range, and the innings barely exceeded five innings on average.

While manager Kim Tae-hyung declared a 'all-out war' for fall baseball, there was no trade from Lotte, which was full of rumors. This is why Lotte's August move is drawing attention. There is no official deadline for replacing foreign players, but recruitment must be made by August 15 to play in the postseason.

This article was translated by Naver AI translator.