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| Ko Myung-jun / Photo=DB |
SSG beat Lotte 6-3 on the 24th at Incheon’s SSG Landers Field in the final exhibition game of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League.
The victory left SSG with a 5-7 record to finish the 2026 exhibition schedule. Lotte, which clinched first place in the exhibition on the 23rd, wrapped up at 8-2-2 (wins-draws-losses).
SSG’s starting lineup featured Park Sung-han (SS) - Eredia (LF) - Choi Jeong (3B) - Kim Jae-hwan (DH) - Ko Myung-jun (1B) - Choi Ji-hoon (CF) - Kim Seong-wook (RF) - Jo Hyung-woo (C) - Jung Jun-jae (2B).
Starter Veniziano worked five innings, allowing three hits (one homer), one walk and striking out seven while surrendering one run to pick up the win. He threw 74 pitches: 22 fastballs, 16 sliders, 15 changeups, 14 sweepers and seven two-seamers. His fastball topped out at 150 km/h (93 mph) and dipped to 145 km/h (90 mph).
The offense rode Ko Myung-jun’s back-to-back homers. Ko finished 3-for-3 with two homers, three RBIs and two runs. Choi Jeong added insurance with a two-run blast in the seventh. Park Sung-han and Eredia each recorded multi-hit games and supplied steady offensive production.
Lotte countered with Han Tae-yang (2B) - Son Ho-young (3B) - Yoon Dong-hee (RF) - Jeon Jun-woo (DH) - Kim Min-seong (1B) - Yoo Kang-nam (C) - Shin Yun-hoo (LF) - Jeon Min-jae (SS) - Jang Doo-seong (CF).
Lotte starter Park Se-woong took the loss after 5.2 innings, giving up seven hits (two homers), one walk and five strikeouts while allowing four runs. He threw 81 pitches: 34 fastballs, 24 sliders, 15 curveballs and eight forkballs. His fastball reached 149 km/h (93 mph) and fell to 144 km/h (89 mph).
Lotte struck first. In the top of the second with one out and nobody on, Yoo Kang-nam lined Veniziano’s fourth pitch—a 147 km/h (91 mph) heater—over the left-center fence for a 120 m (394 ft) solo homer to put Lotte up 1-0.
SSG answered with power. In the bottom of the fourth, leadoff hitter Eredia doubled on the first pitch. After Choi struck out, Kim Jae-hwan hit an RBI double to tie the game at 1-1. With one out and a runner on second, Ko Myung-jun attacked Park Se-woong’s second pitch, a 121 km/h (75 mph) curve, and launched a two-run homer to flip the score and put SSG ahead 3-1.
SSG left a chance in the fifth. After one out, Park Sung-han’s single and Eredia’s left-field double put runners at second and third, but Choi grounded into an infield out and Kim Jae-hwan popped out to the outfield, leaving the go-ahead runs stranded.
Lotte kept pressing. In the top of the sixth with one out, Yoon Dong-hee homered off reliever No Kyung-eun’s 133 km/h (83 mph) forkball—a 100 m (328 ft) solo shot that cut Lotte’s deficit to 3-2.
Ko Myung-jun answered again. Leading off the bottom of the sixth, he blasted Park Se-woong’s third pitch—a 147 km/h (91 mph) fastball—over the right-field wall for his second straight at-bat homer, restoring a 4-2 lead.
Building on that momentum, SSG extended the lead with more power. In the bottom of the seventh with one out, Park Sung-han singled off reliever Kim Won-joong. With two outs and a runner on second, Choi crushed a 142 km/h (88 mph) fastball into the gap for a 125 m (410 ft) two-run homer, pushing the score to 6-2.
Lotte didn’t go quietly. In the top of the eighth, Lee Ho-jun drew a walk and a grounder from Hwang Seong-bin brought in a pinch-runner. After a nine-pitch battle, No Jin-hyeok lined a single to right. Right fielder Kim Seong-wook failed to handle the ball cleanly, allowing the runner from first, Hwang Seong-bin, to score and trim the lead to 6-3.
That was as far as the comeback went. SSG brought in closer Jo Byung-hyun to start the ninth, and he retired Lotte’s side in order—Son Seong-bin, Shin Yun-hoo and Lee Seo-jun—to seal the 6-3 victory.
SSG will open the 2026 regular season against the KIA Tigers at the same venue on the 28th. Lotte will face the Samsung Lions at Daegu’s Samsung Lions Park.
[Sports Today reporter Shin Seo-young sports@stoo.com]
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