Three weeks, just 19 games. That’s how long it took for the Lotte Giants’ two-month +10 offense to crumble.
Lotte’s fall has been steep. They’ve somehow managed to hang on to fourth place with their early season performance. However, the rise of Kiwoom Heroes and KT Wiz is not easy.
Instead of rebounding, they have been leaking power. The absence of key hitters Noh Jin-hyuk and veteran Jung Hoon has been felt, and the resurgence of Han Dong-hee has been elusive. Ahn Kwon-soo, who showed a lot of promise in the leadoff role at the beginning of the season, is also out with elbow surgery.
The starting lineup and bullpen have been jagged to say the least, and even Na Gyun-ma, who had been holding down the fort as a native ace, has been removed from the first team due to elbow pain. Han Hyun-hee’s conversion to the closer role also failed in the first game.
Before the injured players returned, Lotte faced its biggest crisis of the season. It only takes a moment for the team’s mood to crumble. They are already 32-31. If they fall below 5 percent, it will be difficult to recover.
Since winning the series against KIA on June 2-4, Lotte has lost five straight series. Their opponents during this period were KT Samsung Hanwha SSG KT. While it’s frustrating that they were able to ‘bounce back’ from KT with six wins, it’s even more disturbing that these teams are mostly hovering around the bottom of the standings, with the exception of SSG.
Even though they strengthened their depth by signing three free agents and a large-scale release, there is a pessimistic atmosphere that they can only hold on for ‘one more month than usual’.
Even the officials have already admitted that “it’s painful to watch every game”. This is because the game is generally frustrating. Starters are often pulled before the fifth inning, and the bullpen collapses if they somehow manage to hold onto a late lead. In June, the team ranks ninth out of 10 in batting average (2.545) and last in OPS (slugging percentage + on-base percentage, 0.663).
Those five wins came from a batting average in scoring position that has been unusually high all season. Contrary to popular belief, Lotte’s team batting average with runners in scoring position in June is 3-for-6, second only to the NC Dinos (3-for-3). Their OPS in scoring position is also 0.800, ranking fourth behind NC, KIA Tigers, and SSG Landers.안전놀이터
But even that may be approaching dangerous levels. On April 22 against the KT Wiz in Suwon, Lotte failed to produce a single hit in three bases-loaded chances and lost 2-4. Starter Lee In-bok, making his first first-team start of the season, didn’t live up to expectations, giving up four runs on eight hits in 4 1/3 innings, and the bullpen struggled, but the offense couldn’t turn it around. The lack of home runs (26) and a ninth-place batting average (.347) among the 10 clubs further chills Lotte fans.