There was nothing wrong with the team that was in the bottom of the scoring range and batting average. And even the chronic ‘happiness defense’ came out. In the end, Hanwha had to face the predicted ending.
Hanwha lost 1-8 in the match against Lotte Giants held at Sajik Stadium in Busan on the 26th. This marked a record of 6 wins, 13 losses and 1 draw. On the 23rd, the thrilling 7-6 come-from-behind victory against LG was not followed.
It was a match that Hanwha had to pay a price for. In the first episode, Hanwha took the lead with Roh Si-hwan’s solo gun. However, no follow-up was scored. At the end of the first inning, Lotte immediately tied the score and allowed a turnaround in the third inning.
It was Hanwha who had no chance against Lotte’s Strayley and Han Hyun-hee combination. However, there were plenty of opportunities for Hanwha to pick up the pace after the 6th inning. Against Hyeon-hee Han, who was blocked in the 4th and 5th innings, in the 6th inning Jung Eun-won and Roh Si-hwan’s consecutive hits gave them a chance to secure first and second base. And when Chae Eun-seong’s large midfielder’s fly ball, runners on 1st and 2nd base all tagged up, creating a chance for one company to 2nd and 3rd base. However, this year’s Hanwha’s scoring DNA was revealed.
Hanwha is at the bottom of the league this year with a batting average of 10.809. It was the only club that was less than 20%. If they saved even one chance, they did not know how the mid-to-late half of the game would go, but Hanwha could not change the flow.
In the 6th inning, left-handed hitter Lee Seong-gon entered the plate at the chance of a tie with 1 out, 2nd and 3rd base. When Lotte put in left-hander Kim Jin-wook, Hanwha put in right-hander pinch hitter Kim Tae-yeon. However, Kim Tae-yeon struck out on a swing without getting the timing right against Kim Jin-wook, who was on a scoreless streak. And Choi Jae-hoon hit a big ball in the left-center area, but the score was canceled as it was caught by Lotte left fielder Hwang Seong-bin.
In the bottom of the 6th, Hanwha lost a run. It was a situation where there shouldn’t be a crisis itself. But he created the crisis himself. After one out in the bottom of the 6th inning, Ahn Chi-hong’s batted ball flew high into the left center. If either of left fielder Noh Soo-gwang or center fielder Mun Hyun-bin played the call properly, it was a ball that could be caught easily.
But nobody called. Happy defense that forgot the basics came out again. After recognizing each other’s existence, they flinched for fear of a collision, and the ball rolled all the way to the wall. It became a 3-base hit. In the end, he was put in a difficult situation with 1 out and 3 base, and he even played forward defense in the infield, but he conceded a run without getting Roh Jin-hyuk’s first baseman grounder out of the home. The gap widened further to 1-3.안전놀이터
Hanwha’s pursuit is not over. At the top of the 7th inning, as a result of the euro, Moon Hyun-bin hit consecutive hits. He hit all of them on an unfavorable count that preempted two strikes. Oh Seon-jin’s sacrifice bunt took another chance for 1 out, 2nd and 3rd base. It was a better opportunity than the 6th situation.
However, this time, Hanwha failed to take advantage of the opportunity. Noh Soo-gwang struck out against the changed pitcher, Koo Seung-min. Jeong Eun-won got a walk and the table was set for a chance to get 2 outs.
He hit a home run and Noh Si-hwan, who currently has the best pace in Hanwha, entered the plate. Noh Si-hwan was no different. Noh Si-hwan’s batting average in scoring position was only 103 06 (3 hits in 22 at-bats). This data didn’t lie, and he retired as a fly ball to right field.
The cost of not taking advantage of two consecutive innings was the dedication of the big innings. With 5 runs in the 7th inning, Hanwha gave up the game in vain. /jhrae@osen.co.kr