Which team will have the last laugh in the season’s second ‘elotracico’ with the lead at stake?

The Lotte Giants and LG Twins will play a midweek three-game series at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on the 30th. This will be their second clash of the season, following a three-game series at Sajik Baseball Stadium in Busan from April 11 to 13, and Lotte was the hero of the winning series.

This three-game series is also very important for both teams. Third-place Lotte (26 wins, 16 losses) and first-place LG (30 wins, 1 draw, 16 losses) are currently in a “three-way tie” with second-place SSG Landers (28 wins, 1 draw, 16 losses). They are separated by just one game. The outcome of this series will make a big difference in the standings.

Especially for Lotte, it’s a great opportunity to close the gap on LG as it’s a direct head-to-head matchup. If they can sweep the three-game series, they could even move into first place.

Lotte has been on a roll lately. Last week, they took two of four from the NC Dinos and Kiwoom Heroes. On the 28th, a bullpen collapse led to a 5-7 upset loss to Kiwoom, but things are still looking good.

As of the 29th, Lotte is ranked seventh in team ERA (4.04) and fifth in team batting average (0.259), and the team’s “team-first” mentality is one of the reasons for this upswing.

After the game, Yoo Kang-nam, who went 2-for-4 with the game-winning hit and one RBI in Lotte’s 6-5 victory over Gochuk Kiwoom on April 27, said, “Ahn Chi-hong called a meeting when we were struggling a little bit in the game, and he told us that everyone wants to get a hit, but we should try to bat as a team to advance one more base. The juniors also recognized that. The players were focused and played baseball as one, and I think it paid off.”

Lotte also relies on the support of the away fans. “Of course, many Lotte fans come to the other eight stadiums and cheer us on,” said Lotte manager Larry Sutton before the game against Gochuk Kiwoom on the 28th, “but I think it’s different to play at Sajik Stadium and Jamsil Stadium. The meaning is also different. There are more Lotte fans and the sound is different. I want to reward the fans with a good game, and I’m looking forward to the Jamsil series,” he said, adding, “That’s the goal,” when asked by reporters if a good performance could lead to a first-place finish.

안전놀이터 Lotte will send right-handed sidearm Han Hyun-hee to the mound for Game 30. He is 4-3 with a 4.58 ERA in eight appearances this season. A concern is that he hasn’t been able to go the distance in his previous outing, giving up two runs in four innings against the Busan NC on April 24 (1-3 Lotte loss), and in his most recent outing against LG on April 13, he gave up five runs in five innings.

Countering this is LG, who have arguably built the strongest lineup of the year. Coming off a 4-2 record against the SSG and KIA Tigers last week, LG’s biggest strength is its unstoppable bats. LG currently leads the team in most offensive metrics, including batting average (0.290), RBI (241), OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage – 0.780), and runs scored (253).

In particular, Austin Dean, who is tied for the team lead in RBIs with Edison Russell (KIUM) with 36, and Park Dong-won, who is tops in both categories with an OPS of 0.958 along with 13 arches, have made their presence felt in the center and lower order. Hong Chang-ki and Moon Sung-ju, who primarily serve as table-setters, also rank first and second in their respective categories with 0.434 and 0.425 slugging percentages, respectively.

The mound is also strong, with a team ERA of 3.32. The bullpen is also solid, with a 3.29 ERA. Right-handed sidearm Park Myung-geun (1-4, 2.75 ERA with five saves) and Ham Deok-ju (2-3, 1.52 ERA with seven saves) have been solid in the bullpen despite their debut seasons.

LG manager Yoon Kyung-yup recently said of the double Park Myung-geun, “It’s a complete win now. I hope he (Park) gets the Rookie of the Year award for his good performance. From the beginning of this season, I started with the idea that the goal was for Park Myung-geun to win the Rookie of the Year.” “In the end, a coach should let his players win more titles. That’s the way to create more stars in our team. The award increases the value of the player, and if the player’s confidence is boosted by the award, it can be an opportunity to grow even more at the next level.”

For the 30th game, LG announced right-hander Lee Min-ho as the starter. The right-hander, who made his professional debut in 2020, went 12-8 with a 5.51 ERA in 26 games (119.1 innings) last season. After allowing two runs (0 earned) in 5.1 innings against Gochuk Kiwoom (1-2 LG) last month, Lee has been rehabbing and treating a flexor strain in his right elbow until recently.

After recovering from the injury, Lee pitched two scoreless innings of two-hit ball with two walks and three strikeouts against Lotte in the Futures (2L) League on April 17, and then played a scrimmage against Sungkyunkwan University on April 24 to tune up his game and prepare for his debut.

Lotte and LG have their own strengths, but which of the two teams will achieve a winning series in this three-game series? With so much attention on the series, the team that smiles in this three-game series will be able to take the lead in the leaderboard competition.