The starting pitcher held out until there were two outs in the seventh inning. However, to secure seven outs, five pitchers were needed, and among them, three were pitchers who had pitched in consecutive games. Yet, the primary objectives of chasing and maintaining the score difference were also not achieved.
Lotte suffered a 0-9 defeat against the Doosan Bears in the last game of the first half of the regular season held at Sajik Stadium in Busan on the 10th. They completely failed to tackle Doosan's starting pitcher, Jack Logg, over eight innings. They managed to throw only 91 pitches against Logg over that span.
Still, Lotte showed once again that their starter, Na Gyun-an, entered a recovery phase near the end of the first half. On that day, Na Gyun-an made an error in throwing to first base while trying to handle Lee Yoo-chan’s bunt with no outs and runners on first and second in the third inning, resulting in the first score. After that, he allowed a sacrifice fly to Cave and a timely double to Yang Eui-ji, resulting in three runs.
However, from the fourth to the sixth inning, Na Gyun-an recorded only one hit against him while effectively blocking the Doosan lineup, maintaining a three-run gap. In the seventh inning, he faced two outs and allowed a right field single to Lee Yoo-chan. Since his pitch count had already exceeded 100, the Lotte bench decided to replace him.
Though closing pitcher Kim Won-jung was waiting for his turn, the previous day’s game (on the 9th) was a grueling battle that extended to 11 innings, and in the game on the 8th, the bullpen had already been heavily taxed. The fatigue level of the recent bullpen was at an all-time high. With Na Gyun-an enduring until there were two outs in the seventh, it seemed like a breath of fresh air.
However, the subsequent pitcher, Shim Jae-min, allowed a timely hit to Cave, granting the fourth run. Despite the unfavorable circumstances of the bullpen, Lotte continuously brought in pitchers, expressing their resolve to catch up as much as possible.
However, in hindsight, this choice proved to be a monumental blunder, resulting in greater losses. After Shim Jae-min allowed a timely hit to Cave, Kim Kang-hyun took the mound and faced a crisis with one out and the bases loaded in the eighth inning, but he managed to escape the threat by inducing a double play off Kim Gi-yeon.
In the ninth inning, Lotte brought in left-handed rookie Lee Young-jae, who had been called up the previous day (on the 9th). The gap was already four runs, and the Lotte lineup still failed to tackle Logg’s pitches. This could be interpreted as granting experience to Lee Young-jae. He ended up allowing a solo home run to the first batter, Jeong Soo-bin. It was a brutal first debut experience.
However, Lotte did not let Lee Young-jae stay on the mound any longer. They replaced him again, bringing Kim Sang-su to the mound. Kim Sang-su also could not contain the Doosan lineup. He allowed a single to Lee Yoo-chan, and a walk to Cave, creating another crisis. He then allowed a timely hit to Park Gye-beom, a sacrifice fly to Oh Myung-jin, and a two-run double to Kang Seung-ho in succession, resulting in a whopping five runs.
When Kim In-tae came to bat, Kim Sang-su threw the first pitch and clutched his left knee. He limped off the field, ultimately helped by trainers. The club described Kim Sang-su's injury as being on the “back of the left knee.” It seemed there was an issue with his muscle, and he could not walk properly.
With the score already at 0-9, the bench's resolve could not be reflected on the ground. In a situation trailing by three runs, Kim Kang-hyun, Jeong Hyeon-su, and Kim Sang-su all pitched in consecutive games to secure seven outs. But there were no gains at all. Instead, they faced the long-term absence of the 37-year-old veteran, who had never shied away from difficult tasks. While Lotte secured third place for the first half, the aftermath was far from pleasant.
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