Even though it’s hard, we need to focus a little more and gain strength this week.”
The Doosan Bears lost 3-4 against the Sajik Lotte Giants on the 4th, failing to maintain a winning streak. With 55 wins, 55 losses, and 1 draw on the season, they are sitting at a .500 win rate, and as of the 6th, they are in 6th place, 3.5 games behind 4th place NC Dinos and 3 games behind 5th place KIA Tigers.
At the end of the first half, Doosan was in 3rd place with 43 wins, 36 losses, and 1 draw, 5.5 games behind 1st place LG Twins and 4 games behind 2nd place SSG Landers. It was expected that they would be able to shake off the disappointment of finishing in 9th place last year and easily receive an invitation to fall baseball.토토사이트
However, in the second half of the season, they lost 13 wins and 19 losses, with a win-loss margin of ‘-9’. Meanwhile, the KIA Tigers were on the rise with 20 wins, 11 losses, and 1 draw, and the NC Dinos were on the rise with 19 wins, 13 losses, and 1 draw, pushing Doosan out of the top 5.
Because Doosan and NC have 33 games remaining in the regular league, and KIA has 36 games remaining, the final rankings are still in the fog. SSG Landers, ranked 3rd, is only 1.5 games behind NC, ranked 4th, so they cannot be at ease.
The problem is maintaining the momentum to continue competing for the top five. In the case of the 7th place Lotte Giants, they are 3 games behind Doosan with 53 wins and 59 losses, so it is not easy to enter the semifinals. The key for Doosan is to secure as many wins as possible in September.
Doosan must first hold the KIA game on the 6th or 7th to turn the atmosphere around. With the game on the 5th canceled due to rain, the team must secure at least 4 wins in 4 games, including 2 games against KIA during the week and a double header with the Samsung Lions this coming weekend, to achieve their primary goal of jumping to 5th place.
Doosan coach Lee Seung-yeop also sees this week as an important match for fall baseball. Although the specific target multiplier is not mentioned, the intention is to increase the win rate by utilizing all cards available in each game.
Coach Lee Seung-yeop said before the cancellation of the Jamsil KIA game on the 5th due to rain, “I want the players to feel comfortable. If they have the ability, they win, and if they lack the ability, they lose. I just hope they do their best at every moment of play. I hope they will accept the results that come later and play without pressure during the game. “It is my wish,” he emphasized.
He also said, “We definitely had time to regroup (due to frequent rain cancellations). In some ways, this week could be the most important week of the season.” He added, “I think the players should focus a little more this week even if it is a little difficult.” “I will do it,” he said with determination.
Manager Lee Seung-yeop’s position is that since the Doosan mound is operating stably to some extent, the team can fight the opposing team with good performance as long as the bats explode.
On the 5th, Doosan called up veteran bullpen agent Kim Kang-ryul to further strengthen the back door. Right-hander Lee Young-ha has also been showing sharp pitch skills recently, creating an atmosphere that it is worth a shot in the bullpen battle no matter which team he faces.
Manager Lee Seung-yeop explained, “Kim Kang-ryul is also in good condition recently, and Lee Young-ha is gradually improving,” adding, “I think our team’s bullpen is fine as we have Kim Kang-ryul and Lee Young-ha in addition to the existing Kim Myung-shin, Park Chi-guk, Hong Geon-hee, and Jeong Cheol-won.”
He also said, “Our pitching staff has always done well, so we can have a good game if the batters just work out a little more.” He added, “KIA’s batting pace is good recently, but our pitchers are not bad either. We will do our best to play a good game.” added.