The Kiwoom Heroes celebrated manager Hong Won-ki’s 52nd birthday with a strong 10-5 win over the Lotte Giants on June 5 at Sajik Baseball Stadium in Busan. This victory extended Kiwoom’s winning streak and ended a 10-game losing run.
Starting pitcher Ha Young-min delivered a solid performance, pitching seven innings while allowing three runs on seven hits, including one home run. He struck out five batters and walked one, helping Kiwoom’s offense take control early against Lotte’s ace Tucker Davidson.
Kiwoom struck first in the opening inning. Song Seung-mun walked, and Choi Joo-hwan followed with a single to center, putting runners on first and second with no outs. Lee Joo-hyung then doubled to right-center, driving in a run. Kim Dong-yeop added a two-run single, and later Ji Soo singled in another run. The team scored four runs in the first inning alone.
The momentum continued in the second inning when Song Seung-mun doubled after one out. Although Choi Joo-hwan was retired, Lee Joo-hyung delivered another hit, pushing the lead to 5-0.
Lee Joo-hyung was the standout hitter of the game. In the fourth inning, with two outs and no runners on base, he hit a solo home run off Davidson. Following that, Kim Dong-yeop doubled, and Im Ji-yeol walked, setting the stage for Song Ji-hoo’s three-run homer — his first career home run — which extended the lead to 9-2.
Lotte fought back slightly with a two-run homer in the fifth inning by Jeon Jun-woo and a two-RBI double by Han Tae-young in the ninth. However, these runs did not threaten Kiwoom’s lead.
Before the game, the team celebrated manager Hong Won-ki’s birthday with a cake prepared by the players. Hong, born on June 5, 1973, expressed his thanks to the team for their thoughtful gesture and the win.
After the game, Hong praised Ha Young-min’s veteran-like pitching and the team’s early offensive efforts. He specifically highlighted Lee Joo-hyung’s and Song Ji-hoo’s key hits and congratulated Song on his first home run. Hong also thanked Kiwoom fans for their support and promised the team would prepare well for upcoming home games.
Ha Young-min said he was happy to give the manager a birthday win and credited the hitters and defense for the team’s success. He vowed to continue contributing to Kiwoom’s victories in the future.
