The Lotte Giants suffered their sixth loss in seven Tuesday games this season, falling 8-1 to the NC Dinos at Sajik Stadium in Busan on May 12. The defeat has raised questions about whether the team’s poor Tuesday record is more than just a superstition.
Starter Elvin Rodriguez struggled, allowing 5 runs on 6 hits and 6 walks over 4 2/3 innings, while the offense failed to solve NC starter Riley Thompson. Just two days earlier, Lotte had snapped a two-game losing streak by beating the KIA Tigers, seemingly building momentum for a push up the standings. However, the Giants once again faltered against NC, a team that had swept them in a three-game series in Changwon back in March.
More troubling than the loss to NC is Lotte’s persistent Tuesday jinx. This season, the Giants have played seven Tuesday games and won only one — a 5-4 victory over the Kiwoom Heroes on April 28, powered by a strong start from Kim Jin-wook. Since then, they have lost three straight Tuesdays, including a defeat to the KT Wiz on May 5 and the latest loss to NC.
While Tuesday records can be skewed by small sample sizes, both Lotte (9th) and the last-place Kiwoom Heroes (10th) sit at the bottom of the league in Tuesday winning percentage. This suggests the issue is tied to overall team performance rather than mere chance.
Every manager emphasizes the importance of winning the first game of a midweek series. A win on Tuesday puts a team in a favorable position to take the series, allowing for more flexible bullpen management and better long-term results. Conversely, a loss puts immediate pressure on the rest of the week.
Pitchers who start on Tuesday typically also pitch on Sunday, meaning they have one less day of rest. If they lose the Tuesday start, the psychological burden can carry into their next outing.
Last season (2025), the top four teams in Tuesday winning percentage all advanced to the postseason or beyond. Lotte, which was third in the league as of July, had a Tuesday winning percentage of .400 (6-9) before dropping to just 1 win in 9 Tuesday games from August onward.
The simplest explanation is that Lotte’s weaker overall roster leads to poor Tuesday results. But if the pattern persists, it becomes a mental hurdle the team must acknowledge and overcome. Next week, Lotte’s Tuesday opponent will be the Hanwha Eagles.
