Can the Kia Tigers overcome the crisis?
Kia Tigers lost 3-9 against the Lotte Giants of the 2024 KBO at the Gwangju-Gia Champions Field on April 5. They were swept by Lotte following an 0-6 shutout the day before. It was their second consecutive losing series, including the weekend series against KT. They dropped to 1-4 in five games. Lotte’s five-game losing streak was a big reason.
The LG Twins, who have been on a furious upswing, are now 0.5 games behind. First place is no longer meaningful. They have been in the lead since the opening day, but it was an unstable first place. They couldn’t hit. They lost a lot of momentum. The starting lineup and bullpen have been shaky. Even the league’s strongest batting lineup has fallen into a slump, with Na Sung-beom, Socrates, and Choi Hyung-woo struggling.
The starting pitching staff is lacking except for James Nail and Yang Hyun-jong. The front five was considered the strongest in the league, but Lee Yi-ri went down early with elbow ligament damage and Will Crowe, one of the best pitchers in the game, went under the knife with an elbow injury. Hwang Dong-ha has been the starter, but Yoon Young-cheol’s struggles have put the starting staff at risk. 바카라사이트 The team continues to lose starting matches.
The same goes for the bullpen. After a strong start to the season, the bullpen has been unreliable with the exception of Jeon Sang-hyun and Jeong Jung-young, who have been getting into trouble with walks and giving up hits and runs. In the fifth game, with the score 2-3, Jang Hyun-sik, Choi Ji-min, and Kim Do-hyun gave up one run. In the second half of the game, the team frequently lost the lead or lost the flow of the chase.
The batting, which had been very strong, has also faltered as the center of the lineup has been struggling. Na Sung-beom has just two hits and two RBIs in 17 at-bats in his last five games. He fell into a slump after returning from injury, but seemed to recover with a five-game winning streak before suddenly losing momentum. Choi Hyung-woo is also just 3-for-18 with two RBIs in five games. Socrates Brito also went just 4-for-17. Lee Woo-sung, the No. 3 hitter, is also struggling with four hits in 19 at-bats. Only Park Chan-ho and Kim Do-young have been able to maintain their hitting form.
Finally, Na Sung-beom’s defense came to the fore in Game 5. Trailing 0-2 in the top of the fifth inning, he failed to block a line drive by Go Seung-min, allowing him to score from second base. He was playing poorly due to the lingering effects of his thigh injury. Reyes followed with a deep fly to right-center field that was not called for a relay play, allowing the runner to score. The out was misread. In addition, in the first run of the third inning, the first baseman (Lee Woo-sung) failed to recognize the runner at second base who was trying to steal home.
Lee Bum-ho is no longer the No. 1 baseball manager, and he’s playing a style that leaves it up to the players rather than trying to squeeze one run out of the game. When they get a strong start, they either give up the game or are shaken up and lose the flow against opponents who play tactical baseball. It has been pointed out that it is necessary to play baseball that puts pressure on the opposing pitcher and fielding staff. This is the biggest crisis since he took over. We need leadership to break through the crisis. All eyes will be on Lee and his players to see if they can find the clue.
