Kiwoom Heroes vs. Lotte Giants: The Ultimate Guide to the 2026 KBO League’s Intense Rivalry

Translation result ▲ Oh Sun-jin ⓒKiwoom Heroes

[SPOTV News = Sajik, Park Seung-hwan] The Kiwoom Heroes walked off the Lotte Giants in extra innings on a squeeze bunt.

Kiwoom took a 6-5 victory on April 29 at Sajik Stadium in Busan in the teams’ fifth meeting of the 2026 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League season.

# Lotte lineup

Jang Du-seong (center fielder) – Victor Reyes (left fielder) – No Jin-hyeok (first baseman) – Jeon Jun-woo (designated hitter) – Yoon Dong-hee (right fielder) – Yoo Kang-nam (catcher) – Jeon Min-jae (shortstop) – Park Seung-wook (third baseman) – Lee Ho-jun (second baseman), starter Elvin Rodriguez.

# Kiwoom lineup

Park Joo-hong (center fielder) – Trenton Brooks (designated hitter) – An Chi-hong (second baseman) – Kim Geon-hee (catcher) – Kim Ji-seok (third baseman) – Im Ji-yeol (left fielder) – Choi Joo-hwan (first baseman) – Im Byung-wook (right fielder) – Oh Sun-jin (shortstop), starter Oh Seok-ju.

▲ An Chi-hong ⓒKiwoom Heroes ▲ Yoon Dong-hee ⓒLotte Giants ▲ Im Byung-wook ⓒKwak Hye-mi

Like the previous day, both clubs traded blows through the lineup. Kiwoom struck first. In the top of the first, with two outs and nobody on, An Chi-hong jumped on an Elvin Rodriguez 132 km/h sweeper and sent a solo homer over the left-field wall.

Lotte responded in the bottom of the second. Leadoff man Yoon Dong-hee recorded a hit in his first at-bat back, and with one out and a runner at first, Jeon Min-jae ripped a run-scoring double down the left-field line to even the score at 1-1. In the fourth, after drawing a walk, Yoon set the table for Yoo Kang-nam, who delivered a run-producing double into center-right off Kiwoom starter Oh Seok-ju, shifting momentum to Lotte.

Kiwoom reclaimed the lead in the fifth. With two outs and a runner on first after Im Ji-yeol’s walk, Im Byung-wook turned a mistake changeup from Rodriguez—up in the zone—into a two-run homer to left-center. The lead was short-lived, however, as Lotte fought back to tie it again.

In the bottom of the seventh, Lotte got a break when leadoff hitter Jang Du-seong was hit by a pitch from Kiwoom reliever Park Jung-hoon. Victor Reyes followed with a single to put runners at the corners. No Jin-hyeok then hit into a double play, but Jang scored from third to knot the game at 3-3.

▲ Park Seung-wook ⓒLotte Giants ▲ Oh Sun-jin ⓒKiwoom Heroes

The eighth inning saw a costly sequence for Lotte. After Kiwoom’s Choi Lee-jun struck out Park Joo-hong to open the frame, he walked Lee Hyung-jong and began to lose his command. Lotte summoned Hyeon Do-hun, but he allowed a hit and another walk to load the bases. He induced a grounder back to the mound from Kim Ji-seok, but his throw home went awry—an errant toss that allowed two runs to score and pushed Kiwoom ahead 5-3.

The Giants answered in the bottom of the eighth. Yoon Dong-hee led off with a double to left, and with two outs and a runner on second, Park Seung-wook launched a two-run homer to right off Kiwoom setup man Kim Jae-woong to tie the game once more.

With the score level after nine, the game went to extra innings. In the top of the 11th, Choi Joo-hwan’s double put a runner at third with one out. Oh Sun-jin executed a textbook squeeze bunt to bring the go-ahead run home. Kiwoom’s bullpen held through the bottom half to secure the 6-5 win and even the series.