2026 KBO Spring League: Lotte Giants Clinch 13th Championship with 5-2 Victory Over SSG

Na Gyun-an / Photo=DB

[Sports Today reporter Shin Seo-young] The Lotte Giants beat the SSG Landers 5-2 to claim their 13th preseason title.

Lotte defeated SSG on March 23 at Incheon’s SSG Landers Field in a 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League exhibition game.

The victory pushed Lotte to three straight wins and closed their preseason slate at 8-2-1, securing the 2026 preseason crown.

It’s Lotte’s first outright preseason title in four years — they shared the top spot in 2022 with the LG Twins and KIA Tigers — and the 13th preseason championship in franchise history.

SSG finished the exhibition schedule 4-7.

Lotte starter Na Gyun-an picked up the win, working five innings and allowing five hits (one homer), two walks, four strikeouts and two runs. The bullpen of Koyama, Choi Jun-yong, Yoon Sung-bin and Jung Cheol-won each threw a scoreless inning to close the game out.

Offensively, Jang Du-seong went 2-for-3 with a walk, a run and a stolen base. Kim Min-seong (1-for-4, two RBIs) and Park Seung-wook (2-for-4, one RBI) had key hits, and Shin Yun-hoo added a seventh-inning solo homer to seal the outcome.

SSG starter Choi Min-jun took the loss after 2.2 innings, yielding four hits, two walks, one strikeout and three runs (two earned).

Lotte struck first. In the top of the first, leadoff Jang Du-seong opened with a single to center. After Jeon Min-jae struck out looking, Son Ho-young battled a nine-pitch plate appearance and punched an infield single to put runners on first and second with one out.

Yun Dong-hee popped out, but Noh Jin-hyuk drew a walk to load the bases. Kim Min-seong then delivered an RBI single to left, and a throwing error by the left fielder allowed all runners to score, giving Lotte a 3-0 lead.

SSG answered in the bottom of the second. With one out and nobody on, Oh Tae-gon launched Na’s third pitch, a 144 km/h fastball, over the left-field wall for a solo homer.

The Landers kept pressing. In the fourth, with two outs, Oh reached on a hit to center and stole second, then Kim Min-sik followed with a double to center that brought Oh home and pulled SSG within 3-2.

SSG threatened again after Hong Dae-in drew a walk to bring runners to first and second with two outs, but Jung Jun-jae grounded out, and the tying run never came.

Lotte regained control in the sixth. Leadoff Yun Dong-hee singled to left. After two flyouts, Park Seung-wook ripped an RBI triple to right that scored Yun and restored a two-run lead.

Lotte put the game away in the seventh. Leadoff Shin Yun-hoo crushed reliever Moon Seung-won’s second pitch, a 144 km/h fastball, over the left-field wall — a 115-meter solo shot — extending the lead to 5-2.

SSG had a late chance in the seventh. After one out, Hong Dae-in ripped a double to left-center off Choi Jun-yong and advanced to third on Jung Jun-jae’s grounder, but SSG failed to bring him home.

With a three-run lead intact, Lotte turned to Jung Cheol-won to close the ninth. Jung retired the side — Erendia, Choi Jeong and Kim Jae-hwan — in order to preserve the win.

[Sports Today Shin Seo-young sports@stoo.com]
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