Despite multiple injuries, the Lotte Giants are not slipping in the rankings. On the contrary, while everyone said it was a crisis and thought it was a turning point, they are maintaining their position without collapsing.
Kim Tae-hyoung, the Lotte manager, noted the team's situation of gaining victories thanks to the recent performance of substitute players ahead of the game against the Samsung Lions on 20th at Busan Sajik Stadium.
Lotte marked a winning series with 2 wins and 1 loss in the three-game series against Hanwha earlier this week. By stopping the fierce momentum of Hanwha, which has climbed to the top, Lotte has once again overcome a critical point. Despite half of the starting lineup, including Hwang Seong-bin, Yoon Dong-hee, Na Seung-yeop, Jang Du-seong, and Son Ho-young, being absent, Lotte continues to secure victories.
In particular, the game against Hanwha on the 18th lifted the mood with substitute starter Hong Min-ki and rookie catcher Park Jae-yeop showcasing outstanding performances. Park Jae-yeop also hit his first home run on that day. In addition, resources like Han Tae-yang and Kim Dong-hyeok have been minimizing the gap with performances comparable to the starters. Kim Tae-hyoung expressed gratitude to the coaching staff of the second team. He explained, "Both the existing players and the backup players, as well as those I haven’t seen, are doing well in difficult situations," and added, "It seems that the second team coaching staff, including manager Kim Yong-hee, has prepared well. So they are adapting well when they come to the first team. The second team coaching staff seems to be working hard."
He smiled while saying, "Also, when the coaching staff come to the first team, they give a lot of advice during the games. Everyone seems to be performing better than I expected."
Park Chan-hyung, who was called up to the first team just a month after being signed as a player from the independent league, also made his debut with a hit on the first pitch in his first at-bat in the previous game. He mentioned, "There wasn’t really a situation to bring in a substitute and there were no players available. So I wanted to see him play in one game. Hitting a pretty fast ball on the first pitch in his first at-bat will be a great help for him."
He continued to praise Park Jae-yeop, who has been wearing the starting catcher's mask for two consecutive games. He said, "In the case of rookies, hitters usually get targeted on their weaknesses after going through a rotation. However, his hitting is currently good, and his defense has been excellent as well. He is also doing a great job with blocking," and added, "He is performing better than I expected. I can tell if catchers are nervous just by looking. When they are nervous, their bodies fidget. But Park Jae-yeop is not as nervous as I expected."
He stated that Park Jae-yeop led the pitching mix entirely, saying, "He should obviously signal. At critical moments, signals come from the bench," and regarding the pitching mix with Na Gyun-an from yesterday, he remarked, "It seems we changed the pattern yesterday. We should mix the forkball, which is the main weapon, with other pitches like cutters or curves, but previously, we relied too much on the forkball. That way, the count becomes predictable. However, we didn’t show the decisive pitch well yesterday."
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