The Samsung Lions of the Korea Baseball Organization are gearing up for a counterattack in the second half of the season with a complete starting lineup.
Samsung will face the last-place Kiwoom Heroes in a four-game series at home starting on the 17th. Foreign ace Ariel Hurado will kick things off. The 'blue blood ace' Won Tae-in, who had taken a brief pause due to right back pain, will make his start on the 18th. The plan is to operate the starting rotation with another foreign pitcher, Gerson Garabito, followed by right-handed Choi Won-tae and left-handed Lee Seung-hyun.
Manager Park Jin-man said on the 16th, "The most positive factor is that our team's strength, the starting rotation, is operating normally." With the starting rotation back in full form, it is expected to greatly aid the relief pitching operation.
The relief pitching staff has shown somewhat unstable appearances, falling into a four-game losing streak, but has recharged during the All-Star break, and with the starting rotation functioning normally, it seems the burden will lessen.
Manager Park Jin-man noted, "Our bullpen pitchers might have been a bit strained physically, but they replenished their stamina through the All-Star break, so they should be able to show more strength. Now we need to rise up. There's nowhere left to fall. We must put in the effort to rise again."
Perhaps for that reason, key members of the winning squad, Lee Ho-sung and Bae Chan-seung, were named key players for the second half. Manager Park Jin-man stated, "Lee Ho-sung and Bae Chan-seung, who play important roles in the bullpen, are key players for the second half. It is essential for them to demonstrate stability based on their experiences in the first half."
Samsung finished the first half of the season with 43 wins, 1 tie, and 44 losses, achieving a winning percentage of 0.494. Manager Park Jin-man emphasized that the atmosphere on the bench must improve for a rebound in the second half.
"Whether we win or lose, the atmosphere on the bench must always be positive. Recently, our performance has not been good, which seems to have caused some of the younger players to feel a bit timid. In such cases, they need to show boldness without being intimidated. That way, there won't be regrets." This was said by Manager Park Jin-man.
On the other hand, there is some unwelcome news. The loss of a leadoff batter who is a former national team member ahead of the second half is regrettable. According to Manager Park Jin-man, Kim Ji-chan is experiencing pain between his hamstring and a muscle, and he will need to focus on recovering his condition for a while. Hong Hyun-bin, a former outfielder for the KT Wiz, has joined first-team training.
Left-hander Baek Jung-hyun, who has been a significant force in the relief pitching staff this season, is also feeling slight discomfort in his left shoulder, and Park Byung-ho, who has been sidelined due to side pain, will need time to return.
Manager Park Jin-man expressed hope for the quick return of injured players, stating, "The position players are consistently performing their roles. If the starting rotation operates normally and the bullpen exerts a bit more effort, we will be able to ride a resurgence."
[OSEN]