It was a weekend three-game series where Lotte realized what it needed to maintain the top spot. Foreign pitchers are hardly able to come up.메이저놀이터
Lotte lost all the matches against SSG held at Sajik Stadium on the 20th and 21st. They were unable to repay the fans in the heat of Sajik Stadium, which was filled with 10,000 spectators for two days in a row. They lost 0-5 on the 20th and 3-6 on the 21st. Lotte, who had risen to the top of the league after winning on the 19th, lost two days in a row and fell to third place.
Offense was one of the biggest problems with only 2 goals in 2 days. The Lotte batting line, which has been showing weakness against lefties this season, was somewhat lethargic in the face of two lefties, Kim Gwang-hyun and Kirk McCarty. I couldn’t get on base actively, and I lacked concentration in rare opportunities.
The gap of foreign hitter Jack Rex was well revealed. Rex was withdrawn from the first team on 18 May with a knee injury. It’s not a very big injury, but the prospect is that he won’t be able to use it for at least 10 days to 2 weeks.
Rex has a batting average of 0.261 and an OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) of 0.727 in 30 games this season. It is an unexpected performance. In addition, the knee is a sensitive area for hitters, so if it is not fully recovered, recovery from hitting in the future may be slow.
▲ Concerns are gathering over Jack Rex due to poor batting and a knee injury ⓒLotte Giants
On the mound, the foreign pitchers who took turns on the mound were sluggish. Since the beginning of this season, I have been struggling because my pace has not improved, but I have not been able to throw my own balls at all the important roads where I can hit the lead.
On the 20th, starter Dan Strayley gave up 4 walks on 4 walks on 6 hits in 5 innings and lost the game with 5 runs (4 earned runs). Charlie Barnes, who had hoped for the recent upturn in pace, also allowed 4 runs in 5 innings on the 21st, and his ERA rose again to the 5-point range (5.02). Both players are foreigners with solid records, so this year’s sluggishness is more painful.
Foreign players alone cannot produce good results, but it is also true that foreign players are essential for good results. No matter how good Lotte’s momentum is, even if it is a top-tier team, crises will continue to come as the season goes on. What is needed at that time is the performance of foreign players. Attention is focusing on whether Lotte will be able to quickly find an answer.