Starter Adam Oller Allows 1 Run in 3 Innings
New Foreign Hitter Patrick Goes Hitless in 3 At-Bats
Baseball fans are cheering during the 2025 professional baseball exhibition game between the KIA Tigers and the Lotte Giants held at Sajik Baseball Stadium in Busan on the 8th. Photo by Yonhap News
The KIA Tigers suffered a come-from-behind loss to the Lotte Giants in the opening game of the exhibition series. KIA lost 3-4 to Lotte in the 2025 KBO exhibition game held at Sajik Stadium in Busan on the 8th.
Starting pitcher Adam Oller delivered a strong performance in his KBO League debut, pitching 3 innings with 4 hits allowed and 1 run. However, the third pitcher, Cho Sangwoo, struggled, giving up 2 runs on 2 hits with 1 strikeout in 1 inning. KIA's new foreign hitter Patrick Wisdom also went silent, going 0-for-3 with 2 strikeouts.
For Lotte, leadoff hitter Hwang Sungbin hit a single to center in the first inning and successfully stole second base. With a groundout by Yoon Donghee and an RBI single to left by Son Hoyoung, Lotte scored the first run. However, in the top of the third, starting pitcher Park Sewoong struggled with control and allowed the tying run.
Park Sewoong hit Lee Woosung with a pitch, and after groundouts by Park Chanho and Choi Wonjun, there were two outs with a runner on third. Kim Doyoung then hit an RBI single to right, tying the game at 1-1.
Riding the momentum, KIA took the lead in the top of the fourth. With one out and runners on first and second after consecutive walks to Choi Hyungwoo and Kim Sunbin, Kim Taegun hit an RBI single to right-center. During the following at-bat by Lee Woosung, a throwing error by the opposing second baseman on a grounder allowed Kim Sunbin, who was on second, to score, putting KIA ahead 3-1.
Lotte began their comeback in the bottom of the sixth with a solo home run by Na Seungyeop. With one out, Na Seungyeop attacked Kim Dohyun's two-seam fastball, sending it over the right-field fence for a home run.
In the bottom of the seventh, Lotte turned the game around. Leadoff hitter Park Seungwook hit a double over the right fielder's head off KIA's third pitcher Cho Sangwoo. After pinch-hitter Choi Hang drew a walk and Park Seungwook stole a base, Lotte had runners on first and third with one out. Jo Sejin then hit an RBI single to left, tying the game at 3-3, and during Jung Hoon's at-bat, a wild pitch allowed Choi Hang, the runner on third, to score.
A total of 17,328 fans attended the exhibition game between KIA and Lotte at Sajik Stadium in Busan. Lotte sold 17,783 infield seats, demonstrating the passionate support of professional baseball fans.
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