SEOUL, South Korea (Interstat) — In a masterful display of power pitching, Elvin Rodríguez delivered a career-best performance to lead the Lotte Giants to a 3-1 victory over the Kiwoom Heroes on Friday evening at Gocheok Sky Dome.

Rodríguez, rebounding emphatically from a disastrous outing just a week prior, dominated over eight stellar innings, allowing one run on four hits while striking out a career-high 11 batters. His command silenced a Kiwoom lineup and provided the stability the Giants desperately needed to snap a two-game skid and improve their record to 4-7. The Heroes fell to 3-8 with the loss.

The game’s decisive moment came not from a late-inning rally, but from a first-inning offensive burst that set the tone. Facing Kiwoom starter Raul Alcántara, Lotte center fielder Hwang Seong-bin immediately tripled to the gap in left-center. After a dropped third strike allowed Víctor Reyes to reach, first baseman No Jin-hyuk drove in Hwang with a sharp single to right. Designated hitter Han Dong-hui followed with another single, but the Giants squandered a chance for more when Jeon Jun-woo grounded into an inning-ending double play. The three-run first, however, proved to be all the support Rodríguez would require.

Rodríguez was in complete control from the outset. He worked around a two-out double by Lee Joo-hyung in the bottom of the first, stranding the runner at third by striking out Choi Joo-hwan. That began a stretch of dominance where he retired 10 of the next 11 Heroes hitters, seven via strikeout. His only mistake came in the fourth inning when Kiwoom third baseman Choi Joo-hwan answered Lotte’s early power with a solo home run to right field, cutting the deficit to 3-1. Rodríguez, unfazed, promptly struck out the next two batters to end the inning and then retired the side in order in the fifth.

Lotte added an insurance run in the top of the fifth, though it was ultimately unnecessary. Reyes, the Giants’ left fielder, launched a solo home run to deep center field off Alcántara, restoring the three-run lead at 4-1. Alcántara’s night ended after six innings, having allowed four runs on 10 hits while also striking out 11, but he was outdueled by Rodríguez’s efficiency.

The most critical juncture of the game arrived in the bottom of the seventh. After Rodríguez allowed a leadoff single to Lee Hyung-jong, the tying run came to the plate with no outs. Demonstrating the poise that defined his evening, Rodríguez struck out Park Chan-hyeok and then induced a crucial 6-4-3 double play from Kim Gun-hee to extinguish the threat. He returned for the eighth and retired the side in order, punctuating his 111-pitch gem with his 11th strikeout, getting Eo Joon-seo swinging.

Giants closer Choi Jun-yong worked a perfect ninth inning, securing the win and notching his first save of the season.

Offensively, Lotte’s 11 hits were spread throughout the lineup. Hwang Seong-bin and No Jin-hyuk each went 2-for-4 with an RBI, while Reyes’s 2-for-4 night included the pivotal home run. For Kiwoom, Choi Joo-hwan’s homer accounted for the team’s only run against Rodríguez, as the Heroes managed just four hits total.

The Heroes’ bullpen trio of Woo Lee Jun, Park Jin-hyung and Park Jeong-hun combined for three scoreless innings of relief, but the Kiwoom offense could not solve Rodríguez. The right-hander’s performance was a dramatic turnaround from his previous start on April 3, when the Shinsegae Landers battered him for eight earned runs in just four innings.

The victory moved Lotte to 4-7 on the young season, while Kiwoom fell to 3-8. The two teams are scheduled to continue their three-game series at Gocheok Sky Dome on Saturday.

UP NEXT

Giants: Lotte will look to secure the series win in the middle game on Saturday. A starter has not been announced.

Heroes: Kiwoom aims to even the series Saturday evening. The team’s probable pitcher is to be determined.