The time has come for the Lotte Giants, who have been on a roll for more than two months since the start of this season, to make a turning point.
Lotte went 1-5 in six games from April 6 against the KT Wiz in Sasak to April 11 against the Samsung Lions in Daegu, ranking last in weekly winning percentage (0.167). This is the first time the team has had a weekly winning percentage below 5 percent since the opening week (April 4-9, 1-3) when two games were canceled due to rain. As a result, the team slipped to fourth place (30-24). It’s been a month and a half since they’ve dropped below third since April 26 against the Sajik Hanwha Eagles.
The bats have struggled, with the exception of Jeon Jun-woo (.391 with two home runs) and Yoon Dong-hee (.273 with one home run) batting just 0.226 on a weekly basis. On the mound, though, the pitching has been solid. Park Se-woong, Charlie Barnes, and Na Kyun-an combined for four quality starts (QS – six or more innings pitched and three or fewer earned runs allowed). The bench showed tenacity, bringing in relievers Koo Seung-min and Kim Won-joong early, even when trailing by a small margin. However, there were many times when the bats failed to respond.
For Lotte, it may have been time to “pay the tax” for the rest of the long race. To prevent further injuries or to help them recover from fatigue, Lotte rested two-hit core Noh Jin-hyuk, Han Dong-hee, Kim Sang-soo, Kim Jin-wook, and Choi Jun-yong from the first team or starting lineup. The team was a bit short on strength in the positions they left out, but it’s a positive thing that they’ve saved up for the future. Commentator Ryu Ji-hyun said, “LOTTE coach Larry Sutton seems to be taking a long view of the season without overdoing it.”메이저사이트
Of course, a prolonged downward spiral is a problem. This season, the team’s roster is thicker, and there’s more to look forward to besides the team’s trademark batting. Unlike in the past, when the team’s batting was subject to severe ups and downs, the defense, infield, and mound have been strengthened. There is plenty of room for improvement.