Must win 17 out of 22 games remaining– Anticipation of a turnaround due to many games against low-ranking teams
– The only hills to lean on are Choi Jun-yong and Kim Won-joong
– AG Park Se-woong and Na Kyun-an’s burden of participation The
메이저놀이터professional baseball Lotte Giants won three games in a row at the end of the season, reviving the spark of fall baseball that was thought to have died out. Moreover, since the opponents in the remaining games are teams showing an overall downward trend, there is a possibility that Lotte will dramatically get on the last train to the semifinals. However, key bullpen pitchers such as Kim Sang-soo and Koo Seung-min have been ruled out for the season due to injuries, so there is a desperate need for a ‘superman on a white horse’ to fill their void.
Lotte won 7-4 against Samsung in Daegu on the 17th thanks to ‘Captain’ Ahn Chi-hong’s consecutive home runs. As a result, Lotte achieved three consecutive wins, starting with the Gwangju KIA game on the 13th. As of the 18th, Lotte, with 58 wins and 64 losses (0.475 winning percentage), has narrowed its lead against 5th place KIA to 5 games. If Lotte achieves a miraculous record of at least 17 wins and 5 losses in the remaining 22 games, they may play the postseason for the first time in six years since 2017.
Considering Lotte’s actions so far, the possibility is not high, but the opponents in the remaining games are relatively viable teams, so it is not impossible at all. Lotte will play the Sajik Kiwoom match, which was canceled due to rain on the 16th, on the 19th. It is the last match against Kiwoom of the season. Kiwoom is overwhelmingly in last place in the league and the team situation and atmosphere are the worst. Lotte also has the upper hand with 8 wins and 7 losses. The next day, their opponent Hanwha also remained in 8th place. The same goes for SSG, which will play a three-game series over the weekend. SSG, the ‘defending champion’ who was once in the lead, has recently fallen into 6th place after being mired in 5 consecutive losses.
There is a prerequisite for Lotte to secure a clear win against them. This is the emergence of a ‘superhuman’ who will perform unprecedented activities. Like other clubs, Lotte is nearing the end of the season and key players are leaving one by one due to fatigue. Representative examples include Kim Sang-soo and Koo Seung-min, who played an active part in the victory team. Kim Sang-soo collapsed on the mound after failing to throw a single strike after making a relief appearance in the game against NC on the 8th. The next day, a hospital examination revealed that he was essentially out for the season due to a ruptured adductor muscle. Koo Seung-min also suffered inflammation in his shoulder after the last game against Kiwoom on the 15th, so he cannot play for the time being.
In terms of starting pitchers, ‘local aces’ Park Se-woong and Na Kyun-an have been selected for the Hangzhou Asian Games (AG), so they can only play until the 22nd, when the national team is called up, so there is a significant loss of power. The pitchers that Lotte can rely on are a one-two punch from foreign starters and Choi Jun-yong and Kim Won-joong from the bullpen.
Fortunately, Lotte succeeded in discovering Shim Jae-min as a ‘temporary superhuman.’ Shim Jae-min, who changed his uniform from KT to Lotte this season, appears to be selected as a replacement starter during the AG period. He pitched well in the last two mock exams, allowing one run in five innings each and received a passing grade.
However, Lotte is in great trouble as Shim Jae-min alone cannot fill the void. Acting manager Jong-woon Lee, who took over as interim coach, is mentioning Jin-ha Lee as a replacement starter. Fans are looking forward to Kim Chang-hoon’s bullpen performance. Kim Chang-hoon is currently pitching well with an average ERA of 0 in 6 innings in 7 games in the Futures League. Kim Chang-hoon also played in three games in the first team and showed ‘surprising’ performance.
Attention is focused on whether Lotte, which surprised fans by taking first place in the league at the beginning of the season, will be able to blow the whistle at the end of the season thanks to the performance of its super players.
