The Lotte Giants are making quite the statement this preseason, and Saturday’s action at Busan’s Sajik Baseball Stadium only fueled their growing confidence. In a game that had fans on the edge of their seats, the Giants unleashed a barrage of home runs to secure a 10-6 victory over the Hanwha Eagles in the 2026 KBO League preseason. With this win, Lotte not only swept their weekend two-game series against Hanwha but also maintained their place atop the preseason standings, boasting an impressive record of seven wins, two draws, and just one loss.
The Giants’ offense was nothing short of explosive. Four home runs—yes, you read that right—left the Hanwha pitching staff reeling. Catcher Yoo Kang-nam was the undeniable star of the day, blasting two home runs and driving in a total of five runs. His performance was a sigh of relief for Giants manager Kim Tae-hyung, who had expressed hope that Yoo would “deliver when it counts.” Deliver he did, and then some.
Let’s break down the action inning by inning. The early going saw both teams’ new foreign pitchers take the mound: Jeremy Beasley for Lotte and Wilkel Hernandez for Hanwha. Both started strong, but it was the Giants who struck first in the third. After leadoff man Hwang Sung-bin drew a walk, Victor Reyes stepped up and launched a 147 km/h fastball from Hernandez over the right-field fence for a two-run shot—his first home run of the preseason. The crowd erupted, but Lotte was just getting started.
With one out, Yoon Dong-hee walked, and Jeon Jun-woo singled to right, putting runners on first and second. After Kim Min-sung was retired, Yoo Kang-nam worked a full count and then sent the ball soaring over the left-field fence for a three-run homer. Suddenly, Lotte had a commanding 5-0 lead, and Hanwha’s dugout looked rattled.
Hanwha tried to answer back in the top of the fifth. Ha Joo-seok led off with a single, advanced to second on a groundout, and scored on Sim Woo-jun’s double down the right-field line. Still, Beasley remained composed, finishing his day with five innings of one-run ball, allowing five hits and fanning three. “Beasley gave us exactly what we needed,” said a team official, highlighting the import’s calm under pressure.
Hernandez, for his part, struck out seven over five innings but was tagged for five runs on three hits—including those two decisive home runs. The Hanwha bullpen would soon have its own troubles.
In the sixth, Hanwha showed signs of life. After No Si-hwan drew a walk, Kang Baek-ho—who joined Hanwha this season after a high-profile free agent move from KT Wiz—crushed a two-run homer to right-center, bringing the Eagles within two runs at 5-3. It was Kang’s second home run of the preseason and a reminder of his power potential.
But just as Hanwha looked poised for a comeback, Yoo Kang-nam struck again. In the bottom of the sixth, after Kim Min-sung singled, Yoo smashed his second home run of the day off reliever Park Jun-young, this one a towering drive over the left-field wall. The Giants’ lead ballooned to 7-3, and Kim Tae-hyung’s earlier concerns about offensive depth seemed a distant memory.
Pitching changes came quickly in the middle innings. Lotte’s Kyoyama Masaya, the team’s Asian quota pitcher, struggled in relief, giving up two runs in his lone inning. Still, the Giants’ bullpen steadied the ship, with Choi Jun-yong making his second appearance since returning from injury. He induced a double play to end a Hanwha threat, keeping the momentum firmly in Lotte’s favor.
The Giants weren’t done flexing their muscles. In the seventh, with one out and a runner on first, Shin Yun-hoo—who had delivered a homer in the Futures League opener just days earlier—joined the party, sending a two-run shot over the left-field fence. It was his first home run of the preseason and pushed the score to 9-3. The Giants’ dugout erupted with high-fives and laughter, as Hanwha’s pitching woes deepened.
Adding insult to injury, Lotte tacked on another run in the eighth. Hwang Sung-bin and Lee Seo-jun reached base, and Jang Doo-sung delivered an RBI single to right, making it 10-3. The Giants’ offense looked unstoppable, with contributions from nearly every spot in the lineup.
Hanwha, to their credit, refused to go quietly. In the top of the ninth, Choi In-ho walked and Hwang Young-mook was hit by a pitch, putting two on with nobody out. Catcher Heo In-seo then blasted a three-run homer to left, cutting the deficit to 10-6. Suddenly, the tension in the stadium ratcheted up—could Hanwha mount a miracle rally?
It wasn’t to be. The Giants’ bullpen clamped down, securing the final outs and sealing the 10-6 win. The victory capped a two-game sweep of Hanwha and extended Lotte’s hot streak, keeping them at the top of the preseason table. For Hanwha, the loss dropped them to 4-6 in exhibition play and left them searching for answers, particularly on the mound.
Looking at the broader picture, Lotte’s preseason performance has fans dreaming of a return to contention. The combination of power hitting, solid starting pitching, and a bullpen that’s finding its rhythm has made them the talk of the league. With Reyes and Shin Yun-hoo both notching their first home runs of the spring, and Yoo Kang-nam looking every bit the offensive leader, the Giants’ lineup appears deep and dangerous.
Meanwhile, Hanwha’s new acquisition Kang Baek-ho continues to provide hope for their offense, but the team will need more consistency from their pitching staff if they hope to compete when the games start counting for real. Wilkel Hernandez showed flashes of brilliance with his seven strikeouts, but the long ball proved costly.
Elsewhere in the KBO, the KT Wiz extended their winning streak to three with a 6-2 victory over the NC Dinos, while the LG Twins edged out the Samsung Lions 14-13 in a wild, high-scoring affair. The KIA Tigers and Doosan Bears, meanwhile, played to a rare 0-0 draw, highlighted by strong pitching performances on both sides.
Back in Busan, the Giants’ faithful left Sajik Stadium with plenty to cheer about. With the regular season fast approaching, Lotte’s mix of veteran leadership and emerging stars has set the stage for what could be a thrilling campaign. If this weekend’s fireworks are any indication, the Giants are ready to make some noise in 2026.