'7 → 10 → 7 → 8 → 7 → 7 → 7 → failed again this year' The master also failed to save. Lotte failed in fall baseball for the seventh consecutive year. KT's 5th place is in sight

Sep 24, 2024

The KBO League KT Wiz and Lotte Giants match held at Suwon KT Wiz Park on the 24th. Lotte manager Kim Tae-hyung is lost in thought. Suwon = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2024.09.24/

The KBO League KT Wiz and Lotte Giants match held at Suwon KT Wiz Park on the 24th. KT manager Lee Kang-chul is putting in Song Min-seop, a pinch runner. Suwon = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2024.09.24/

The KBO League KT Wiz and Lotte Giants match at Suwon KT Wiz Park on the 24th. KT Kang Baek-ho hits a timely hit in the bottom of the seventh inning with no outs and runners on second base. Suwon = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2024.09.24/

'Master' Lotte Giants' dream of reaching the semifinals has ended after recruiting head coach Kim Tae-hyung.

KT Wiz won 5-1 at home against Lotte at KT Wiz Park in Suwon on the 24th with Kang Baek-ho's winning shot and Jang Sung-woo's wedge two-run shot in the bottom of the seventh inning. KT continued its dream of reaching the 5th round, but Lotte confirmed its elimination from the 5th round as it will not be able to finish 5th even if it wins all five remaining games.

After playing fall baseball as third place in 2017, Lotte will not be able to enter the semifinals again this year, following seventh place in 2018, 10th place in 2019, 7th place in 2020, 8th place in 2021, 8th place in 2022, and 7th place in 2023.

KT lowered top hitter Mel Rojas Jr., who has been sluggish recently, to No. 2 and put Kim Min-hyuk as the first batter. The starting lineup was composed of Kim Min-hyuk (left fielder), Rohas (right fielder), Jang Seong-woo (catcher), Moon Sang-cheol (first baseman), Hwang Jae-gyun (third baseman), Oh Jae-il (designated hitter), Oh Yoon-seok (second baseman), Bae Jung-dae (center fielder) and Shim Woo-jun (striker). Lotte, which has been playing nine key players recently, made the same lineup on the same day. Hwang Sung-bin (left fielder), Reyes (right fielder), Ko Seung-min (second baseman), Son Ho-young (third baseman), Na Seung-yeop (first baseman), Jeon Joon-woo (designated hitter), Yoon Dong-hee (middle fielder), Park Seung-wook (striker) and Information-geun (catcher) were selected as starters.

KT is in a fierce battle with SSG Landers for fifth place. We can't afford to dream of autumn baseball only when we win as many games as possible in the remaining three games, and Lotte could never miss this game because its hopes for the semifinals end if it loses.

With the mission of winning, KT started with Um Sang-baek and Lotte started with Kim Jin-wook.

The KBO League KT Wiz and Lotte Giants match held at Suwon KT Wiz Park on the 24th. KT Um Sang-baek is pitching hard. Suwon = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2024.09.24/

The KBO League KT Wiz and Lotte Giants match held at Suwon KT Wiz Park on the 24th. Lotte Kim Jin-wook is pitching hard. Suwon = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2024.09.24/

The KBO League KT Wiz and Lotte Giants game at Suwon KT Wiz Park on the 24th. KT Kim Min-hyuk is digging into the third base after hitting a hit in the bottom of the third inning. Suwon = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2024.09.24/

KT won the first point. KT, which Oh Yoon-seok hit a double after two outs in the bottom of the second inning, failed to take advantage of the opportunity, made Kim Min-hyuk hit a triple to right-center in the bottom of the third inning, and Rojas hit a timely hit to the left that he expected to make it 1-0.

Lotte continued to trouble Um Sang-baek by creating chances to tie the game, but no shot came out. In the top of the third inning, a ball hit by the leadoff Park Seung-wook and Reyes' superior double created a chance for 2 outs and 2nd and 3rd base, but Ko Seung-min only made a foul fly to the first base, and in the top of the 4th inning, Jeon Joon-woo and Yoon Dong-hee made consecutive hits to make the 1st and 3rd base, but Park Seung-wook stepped down with a fly to center field.

On the third chance, the equalizer finally came out. This time again, he created a chance after two outs. After two outs in the top of the fifth inning, Reyes' ordinary fly hit the glove and the ball fell off the glove as the center fielder's allocation team closed the glove early. Reyes dug to second base in the meantime and was safe. After Ko Seung-min drew a walk, Son Ho-young stepped up as a troubleshooter. He brought home Reyes with a clean left-handed hit. a 1-1 tie. I expected Na Seung-yeop to come from behind, but he made a fly to center field.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, KT had a chance to hit first and second bases with no outs due to consecutive hits by lead Shim Woo-joon and Kim Min-hyuk, but after Rojas stepped down with a fly to the first baseman, Jang Sung-woo hit a left-handed hit from the changed pitcher Kim Sang-soo, but it bounced off the glove of third baseman Son Ho-young and connected to shortstop Park Seung-wook, which led to second base-1.

The KBO League KT Wiz and Lotte Giants match held at Suwon KT Wiz Park on the 24th. In the top of the fifth inning, Lotte Son Ho-young is cheering after hitting a timely hit with two outs and runners on the first and second bases. Suwon = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2024.09.24/

The KBO League KT Wiz and Lotte Giants match held at Suwon KT Wiz Park on the 24th. KT Kim Min-soo catches a Lotte Park Seung-wook bunt ball and throws it to second base in the top of the sixth inning with no outs and runners on the first and second bases. Suwon = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2024.09.24/

The KBO League KT Wiz and Lotte Giants match at Suwon KT Wiz Park on the 24th. KT Jang Sung-woo is cheering after hitting a two-run shot with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Suwon = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2024.09.24/

Lotte was even more disappointed in the top of the sixth inning. Jeon Joon-woo and Yoon Dong-hee got consecutive walks from the second pitcher Kim Min-soo, making it the first and second bases with no outs, and Park Seung-wook bunted, which slightly rose. However, Kim Min-soo ran and caught the ball as a diving catch, and the runners on the first and second bases had already started and advanced, so all the runners were out, making it the third and 84th triple-kill this season.

KT pushed hard to extinguish Lotte's last spark of hope in the top of the seventh inning. Leader Oh Yoon-seok created a chance by hitting a double to left-center from the changed third pitcher Han Hyun-hee. Manager Lee Kang-chul put Kang Baek-ho as a pinch hitter at Bae Jeong-dae, who struck out twice. In response, head coach Kim Tae-hyung put lefty Chung Hyeon-su on the mound. Kang Baek-ho hit a clean right-handed hit and Oh Yoon-seok homered to take a 2-1 lead. Following Shim Woo-joon's sacrifice bunt, Lotte put up Na Kyun-an again after Kim Min-hyuk's hit to right-center. However, Jang Sung-woo did not miss a high fastball in the middle of Na Kyun-an's 144km first pitch and made it a two-run shot over the left fence. At once, it was 5-1 and the winning team was virtually determined.

Cho Hyung-joon, who neatly stopped the seventh and eighth innings without a hit and no run, became the winning pitcher and took his second win of the season. KT finished the game with Park Young-hyun coming up in the top of the ninth inning.

indyk@sportschosun.com