BUSAN (Interstat) — The Lotte Giants capitalized on timely hitting and a dominant bullpen performance to defeat the Kiwoom Heroes 8-6 on Wednesday evening at Busan Sajik Baseball Stadium.

Víctor Reyes and Go Seung-min each drove in three runs, and Lotte’s relief corps combined for 6.2 scoreless innings as the Giants improved to 59-69-2 on the season. Kiwoom fell to 49-81-4 with the loss.

Lotte built an early lead and never looked back, scoring in the first, second, and third innings to jump out to a 5-0 advantage. Reyes and Go were at the center of the offensive attack, combining for six hits and six RBIs.

The Giants got on the board in the first when Hwang Seong-bin walked, stole second, and eventually came around to score. Lotte added two more in the second and two in the third, with Reyes delivering an RBI single down the left-field line and Go following with a run-scoring double to right-center. Na Seung-yeup doubled in the third and came around to score on Reyes’s single.

Kiwoom answered with two runs in the fourth inning, sparked by Matthew Davidson’s two-run home run to left field. The blast cut the deficit to 5-2 and gave the Heroes momentum. Davidson’s home run came on a 1-1 pitch, and he sent it deep over the left-field fence to put Kiwoom on the board.

But Lotte responded with a run in the sixth and two more in the seventh to extend the lead to 8-2. Go delivered a two-run double down the right-field line in the seventh, capping the Giants’ scoring. Han Dong-hui walked earlier in the inning and came around to score on Go’s double.

Kiwoom’s bullpen kept the game within reach in the middle innings. Park Jin-hyung struck out the side in the fifth, and Won Jong-hyan followed with a perfect sixth. Kim Seon-gi recorded two outs in the seventh, working around a walk. But the Heroes’ offense couldn’t solve Lotte’s relievers until the eighth.

Kiwoom refused to go away quietly. The Heroes exploded for four runs in the eighth inning, sending eight batters to the plate and cutting the deficit to 8-6. The rally began with a walk to Park Chan-hyeok. After a popout and a groundout, the Heroes strung together a series of hits. Choi Jae-young singled, and Davidson doubled to right-center. A walk loaded the bases, and a two-run single by Kim Woong-bin brought Kiwoom within two runs. But Lotte’s bullpen induced a groundout to end the threat.

Rodríguez was the story of the game for Lotte, delivering a stellar relief performance. The right-hander pitched 3.1 innings, allowing just one hit and striking out six. He entered the game in a jam and promptly shut down Kiwoom’s offense, giving his team a chance to extend its lead.

Lotte’s bullpen was nearly untouchable. After the starter departed, Rodríguez, Kim Won-jung, Park Jeong-min, and Choi Jun-yong combined to allow just three hits over the final 6.2 innings. They struck out 12 batters and walked only two, keeping Kiwoom’s hitters off balance all night.

Kim Won-jung was equally impressive, tossing 1.1 perfect innings with three strikeouts. Park Jeong-min added a scoreless inning, striking out three while allowing two hits. Choi Jun-yong also contributed a scoreless frame, working around a walk.

For Kiwoom, Park Jin-hyung was a bright spot out of the bullpen, striking out all three batters he faced in a perfect inning. Won Jong-hyan also tossed a perfect inning, while Kim Seon-gi recorded two outs without allowing a hit, though he did issue a walk.

Davidson finished 2-for-5 with a home run and two RBIs for Kiwoom. He was one of the few Heroes hitters who consistently threatened Lotte’s pitching staff.

Kiwoom’s offense showed signs of life in the later innings. Davidson’s home run was his 25th of the season, and his double in the eighth was a key part of the rally. Kim Woong-bin added a two-run single, and Park Chan-hyeok reached base three times. But the Heroes couldn’t string together enough hits to complete the comeback.

Reyes went 3-for-5 with three RBIs, while Go Seung-min also went 3-for-5 with three RBIs. The duo combined for six of Lotte’s 13 hits on the evening.

The Giants’ offense was relentless early, scoring in each of the first three innings. Hwang Seong-bin walked and stole second in the first, setting up Lotte’s first run. Na Seung-yeup doubled in the third and came around to score on Reyes’s single. Go followed with a double of his own, driving in another run.

Kiwoom’s pitching staff struggled to contain Lotte’s lineup through the first four innings. The Heroes allowed five earned runs before the bullpen settled things down. Park Jin-hyung and Won Jong-hyan provided scoreless relief, but the early deficit proved too much to overcome.

The Heroes managed 10 hits on the night but left several runners stranded in scoring position. They had chances to close the gap earlier but couldn’t come up with the big hit until the eighth inning.

The loss continued a difficult stretch for Kiwoom, which has struggled to find consistency this season. The Heroes have now lost five of their last seven games and remain in last place in the standings.

Lotte, meanwhile, has been playing better baseball of late. The Giants have won four of their last six games and are looking to finish the season strong.

The teams entered the game having split their previous meetings this season, with Lotte winning the most recent matchup 4-2 on Tuesday. Lotte has now won six of the ten head-to-head meetings between the two clubs in 2026.

The game was played in front of 12,075 fans at Busan Sajik Baseball Stadium, one of the most iconic ballparks in South Korea. The evening contest featured crisp pitching and timely hitting from both sides.

With the win, Lotte improved to 59-69-2 on the season. The Giants will look to carry the momentum into their next series against KT Wiz.

Kiwoom fell to 49-81-4 with the loss. The Heroes will hit the road to face the Hanwha Eagles in their next series.

The Giants’ victory was their sixth in ten tries against Kiwoom this season. Lotte has now won the last two meetings between the two teams.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Kiwoom Heroes 6, Lotte Giants 7. The ELO system had projected Lotte with a 65.6 percent probability to win. The actual result fell in line with those projections, though the final margin was slightly larger than expected.