Will the pleasant jinx between manager Lee Seung-yup and Jake Cave lead to the Doosan Bears' third consecutive victory?
The Doosan Bears' manager Lee Seung-yup met with reporters ahead of the season's fourth game against the Lotte Giants at 7:05 p.m. on May 25 at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul, noting, "I also did catch with Cave before the game today."
Cave suggested doing catch with manager Lee Seung-yup for the first time before the game against the Kiwoom Heroes on April 23. Lee Seung-yup gladly accepted and put on a glove, becoming Cave's catch partner in front of the third base dugout.
Doosan won that game 8-2, breaking free from a three-game losing streak. On April 24, Cave again suggested catch before the game against Kiwoom, leading to another catch session between a foreign player and the manager. Doosan also registered a commanding 9-3 victory the previous day, extending their winning streak to two games.
Lee Seung-yup said, "Cave asked to do catch today, so we did. Since we started doing catch, we've had two consecutive victories; I wonder if it’s just a coincidence," and he smiled awkwardly.
Cave also seems to have received good energy from the catch with manager Lee Seung-yup. He recorded multi-hits for two consecutive days on April 23 and 24, extending his streak to multi-hits in the last seven games.
Cave's season batting average, which struggled early in the season, has since risen to .377, placing him third in the batting institutional sector. This is the highest batting average among foreign hitters. If limited to April, Cave's batting average reaches .488.
Lee Seung-yup noted, "Cave has shown excellent form since he returned to the roster after being sidelined with a cold. I think he has found his identity. He has also relieved some burden since he moved down from the cleanup spot in the lineup. He hits hard, runs hard, and defends hard. He is producing some of the finest results he can deliver right now. Because of that, other players are also positively influenced," he said with a satisfied smile.
Meanwhile, Doosan's lineup against Lotte's starting pitcher Tucker Davidson will feature Jung Soo-bin (center fielder), Jake Cave (right fielder), Yang Eui-ji (catcher), Yang Seok-hwan (first baseman), Kim Jae-hwan (designated hitter), Kang Seung-ho (third baseman), Oh Myung-jin (second baseman), Park Ji-hoon (shortstop), and Jo Soo-hyung (left fielder). The starting pitcher will be Choi Won-jun.
Starting shortstop Park Jun-young experienced discomfort in his back during sliding the previous day, prompting Park Ji-hoon to take on his first ever start as a shortstop. Kim Min-seok, the "giant trade acquisition," will start the game on the bench as he faces his former team for the first time. This is a result of his recent slump, hitting just .138 over the last 10 games.
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