A one-night stand?
The Kia Tigers dropped their third straight game against the KT Wiz, 3-10, at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field on April 23. The mound struggled and the offense struggled as well, scoring just one run through eight innings. They scored two runs in the ninth inning, but overall, the bats went silent.
On top of that, Na Sung-beom and Kim Do-young, who had been out with injuries, returned to the first team side by side. Kim Do-young batted leadoff and did his part with a multi-hit performance. Na Sung-bum also marked his return with a walk in his first at-bat and a solo shot in his last at-bat. Despite the synergy, the rest of the bats were silent.
The decline of batters who had been performing consistently with a triple-digit batting average has been evident lately. Ryu Ji-hyuk is batting just 1-for-3 in his last 10 games. He hasn’t been able to get a hit, and his chances have been cut short by a double and a grounder that went wide. He batted second but went 0-for-4 and was unable to capitalize on leadoff hitter Kim Do-young’s double. His batting average dropped to 2-for-7.
Choi Hyung-woo, who led the batting lineup with his ineffectual No. 4 hit, has also seen his hitless streak increase. He is just 2-for-1 in his last 10 games. After hitting 3-for-6 in April and 3-for-2 in May, he’s just 2-for-7 in June. His hitting cycle is heading towards a low point. It’s contributing to the team’s lack of runs scored.
Even with the warmer weather, Socrates’ batting has been suspect. They are just 1 for 18 in their last 10 games. In June, he’s had his share of scoring chances snuffed out. He has four walks. His triple percentage has dropped to the low double digits. He’s also had some disappointing moments on the basepaths and in the field.
In addition, Park Chan-ho, who was once close to a triple-digit batting average, has shown signs of fatigue and is back on the decline. After hitting just 1.181 in April, he jumped to 3.081 in May, only to drop to 2.227 in June. His concentration and persistence at the plate are also decreasing. Not only hitting, but also fielding mistakes.
This is largely due to the loss of Kim Sun-bin, their trusted third baseman, due to a fractured thumb on his right hand. He connected in the sixth spot in the batting order, but the link was broken. In addition, Choi Won-jun, who returned from military service, has been playing a lot and is looking stronger. Lee Woo-seong has been flying high in the triple digits and seems to be anchoring the batting lineup. Newcomer Byun Woo-hyuk has also been hitting well in his last 10 games.For the comebacks of Na Sung-bum and Kim Do-young to be effective, it is imperative that Choi Hyung-woo and Socrates explode together. The KIA players made an unusual special appearance after the 23rd game. It showed that the existing players were desperate to get out of their slump. It will be interesting to see if there will be a one-night special effect in the 24th game.
