Lotte manager Larry Sutton described it as ‘Group A’ and ‘Group B’. The commonly used words in the KBO League were referring to the bullpen’s “winning group” and “chasing group.”
On the 22nd, when the match against LG in Jamsil was canceled due to rain, Sutton brought up the bullpen during the interview because of the question of “lack of endurance by game,” one of the reasons behind Lotte’s downward trend since the early summer season.
Lotte also fought in the top three at the beginning of the season, but it has been on a sharp decline since June. Since June, the winning rate of the games that scored first has been only 0.556 (10 wins and 8 losses), and Samsung, which is struggling with the bullpen’s weakness this season, had the same related indicators. ‘Tied for the bottom’ according to category records. Compared to KT, which flew high with a winning rate of 0.857 (18 wins and 3 losses) in the game that earned the first run during the same period, it is immediately confirmed how weak it was after the middle of the game.
Coach Sutton talked about the gap between bullpen ‘Group A’ and ‘Group B’. This means that there was a big difference in performance between the “Seungri Group,” which includes so-called closer Kim Won-joong and setup man Koo Seung-min, and pitchers who did not. Kim Sang-soo played all-weather, but it was too much to fill the numerical inferiority, and Choi Joon-yong’s difficulty in taking the mound as a top due to injuries also played a role.
Coach Sutton also expressed Lotte’s regret in the big stem, such as the compositional difficulties in which the chase group is less likely to tie the opponent’s steps in the so-called closely followed game and the flow of overload when the winning group is boldly put in.
So maybe left-hander Kim Jin-wook becomes a “key player” again.
Kim Jin-wook, a pitcher in his third year of joining the team, had a lot of starting experience, so he faced the new season in the bullpen, but was highly utilized not only for one inning but also for long relief. Lotte’s early sensation this season was also the same as Kim Jin-wook’s early performance.
Until May, Lotte had a good pace, with a winning rate of 0.614 (27 wins and 17 losses), only two games behind the leading LG. Kim Jin-wook also pitched 22.1 innings in 24 games until May, pitching very solid with two wins and five holds and a 0.169 batting average. It was when Kim Jin-wook played like a lubricant for the bullpen with a flexible appearance that crossed between the winning group and the chasing group since the opening.
Kim Jin-wook has been on the decline since June. Lotte has also been pushed out of the semifinals since then after taking a backward step. 토토사이트
Kim Jin-wook returned to the first division entry on the 22nd. After a slump since June, he returned to his original position after two adjustments to the Futures League. Sutton expected stable control from Kim Jin-wook. Kim Jin-wook, who is “rescued,” was also an “A-class pitcher” with no disagreement.
Kim Jin-wook, who returned, is expected to be a variable in Lotte’s move for the rest of the season. It is expected to be a last-minute key player to decide what kind of Lotte it will be.