Lotte, which collapsed in the bullpen, is bogged down for five consecutive losses! NC, Park Gun-woo out of injury → Davidson final hit → Kim Sung-wook and back-to-back wedge shot '9-2 complete victory'

Jul 26, 2024

photo courtesy of NC Dinos

NC 박건우. Jamsil = Song Jeong-heon Reporter's songs@sportschosun.com/2024.06.19/

He suffered from repeated dunes, but he did not miss the victory of 'Nakdong River Derby'. Showing off the momentum of the home run team, he pushed his local rival to the brink of autumn baseball.

The NC Dinos won 4-2 with Davison's winning shot in the bottom of the seventh inning in Game 1 of the weekend series against the Lotte Giants at Changwon NC Park on the 26th.

With the victory, NC secured its 47th win (46 losses and 2 draws) to protect the edge of the precarious five. He showed off his strength to counter KT Wiz, which has been on a sharp rise in the summer.

On the other hand, Lotte has recently been mired in five consecutive losses. With the defeat, it recorded its 52nd loss (39 wins and 3 draws), tying the game with the Hanwha Eagles, who had no game. He is only one and a half games behind Kiwoom, who is in last place. The distance from fall baseball has become even more distant.

Lotte still has a solid starting lineup that leads to Wilkerson, Barnes, Park Se-woong and Kim Jin-wook. However, veteran Kim Sang-soo is exhausted, Koo Seung-min has not been able to show his usual appearance, and even closing Kim Won-joong has begun to collapse. Lotte manager Kim Tae-hyung sighed, saying, `The starting pitcher has to throw about seven innings.'

A game between Kiwoom and Lotte at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on the 21st. Lotte starter Park Se-woong gave up three runs in the first inning. Gocheok = Reporter Song Jeong-heon @sportschosun.com/2024.06.21/

NC manager Kang In-kwon also has a lot of worries. Fortunately, Shin Min-hyuk, who fell out due to elbow pain, is not in a bad condition. Choi Sung-young, Lee Joon-ho and Lee Yong-joon will hold out once as alternative resources, and Shin Min-hyuk will return again. However, it was the same as expressing regret over the performance of players who were tired of the heat, such as Castano, Davison, and Park Min-woo.

On this day, Lotte decorated its starting lineup with Hwang Sung-bin (center fielder), Yoon Dong-hee (right wing), Ko Seung-min (second base), Reyes (left wing), Son Ho-young (third base), Na Seung-yeop (first base), Jeon Joon-woo (designated hitter), Park Seung-wook (striker), and Information-geun (catcher). The first choice is Park Se-woong.

NC faced Park Min-woo (designated hitter), Park Si-won (center fielder), Park Gun-woo (right wing), Davison (first base), Kwon Hee-dong (left wing), Kim Hwi-jip (third base), Do Tae-hoon (second base), Kim Hyung-joon (catcher) and Kim Joo-won (striker). Lee Jae-hak started.

photo courtesy of NC Dinos

Lotte had its first chance to score with Ko Seung-min's double in the top of the first inning, but failed to connect with the score. In the top of the second inning, Jeon Joon-woo's double play cut the flow.

In NC, Park Gun-woo's injury left the field. Park Kun-woo suffered after being hit by Lotte starter Park Se-woong's 146km fastball in the side in his first at-bat in the bottom of the first inning. Thanks to this, he had a chance with one out and runners on the first and second bases, but Davison's ball was doubled out as a pitcher's straight hit, swallowing regret.

In the bottom of the second inning, NC also had a chance to take the first and second bases with no outs with a walk by Kwon Hee-dong and a hit by Kim Hwi-jip. Kim Hyung-joon and Kim Joo-won's consecutive walks following Do Tae-hoon's double play continued the chance to load the bases with two outs, but Park Min-woo struck out.

The first score came in the bottom of the third inning. After one out, Park Kun-woo was hit by a dune on the wrist this time. Park Gun-woo, who complained of pain while rolling around, was taken away in an ambulance. NC scored the first run with a grounder by Kwon Hee-dong following Davison's double in the ensuing chance.

The game between NC and Hanwha at Hanwha Life Eagles Park in Daejeon on the 8th, and NC Kwon Hee-dong, with two outs and runners on the first and second bases, is happy to hit an RBI timely hit in the top of the fifth inning. Daejeon = Reporter's wook@sportschosun.com/2024.06.08/

Lotte tied the game with Park Seung-wook's timely hit in the top of the fifth inning with one out and runners on the first and second bases, but no follow-up hits continued. NC immediately took a 2-1 lead with a timely hit by Kim Sung-wook, who played instead of Park Kun-woo in the bottom of the fifth inning.

NC starter Lee Jae-hak pitched hard with two runs in six ⅓ innings, but unfortunately missed the winning pitcher because he allowed Lotte's Na Seung-yeop to equalize in the top of the seventh inning.

However, NC loaded the bases without a hit in the bottom of the seventh inning with Lotte's Jin Hae-soo and Koo Seung-min's pitches (two pitches) and a walk, before leading again with Davison's two-run final hit.

At the end of the eighth inning, a firecracker festival was held. Park Min-woo's timely hit, Kim Sung-wook's three-run, and Davison's back-to-back home run hit one after another against Lotte Choi Yi-joon. NC put in Lim Jung-ho in the eighth inning and Han Jae-seung in the ninth inning to wrap up the game.

lunarfly@sportschosun.com