Kim Tae-hyung’s gamble pays off, new giant is born
Lotte blew a 10-5 lead in the bottom of the ninth inning against SSG in Incheon on July 31 after Kim Won-joong gave up five runs and collapsed, ultimately losing 11-12 in 12 extra innings. It was a shocking loss.
No matter how bad Kim’s form was, it was unusual for a closer of his quality to give up five runs without recording three outs. After giving up a single to Jung Joon-jae and a sacrifice fly to Park Ji-hwan with two outs in the first inning, Kim gave up a three-run homer to Heredia with runners on first and second to tie the game in the second inning. Won-Joong Kim was ultimately left stranded.
Lotte scored a run on Jung Hoon’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 12th inning to tie the game at 10-10 and seemingly get out of trouble, but two batters later in the 12th inning, Oh Tae-gon hit the game-winning double.
The aftermath of Kim Won-joong’s collapse wasn’t just a one-game affair, as he threw 35 pitches in 31 innings, making it difficult to use him in a one-day game. If he had gotten out of the game quickly, he would have had a chance to bounce back, but it’s not easy to send out a player who threw 35 pitches the day before. Lotte was facing a one-day game without a finish.
On a day like this, you need a finish. That’s baseball. Lotte was held scoreless through the first five innings of the game, as they were overpowered by Drew Anderson’s powerful stuff. However, after falling behind 0-2, they scored a run in the seventh inning and added three more runs in the eighth on an error to take a 4-2 lead. Now, the bullpen would be crucial.
With starter Park Se-woong retired the side in order in the top of the seventh, Jin Hae-soo came in as the second pitcher and pitched two batters and ⅓ of an inning, and Lotte’s first pitcher of the day, Kim Sang-soo, came in off the break and pitched 1 1/3 innings of perfect relief. The ninth inning was the problem. Koo Seung-min, who replaced Kim Won-joong on the mound, was hit by a pitch to the body while trying to get Jung Jun-jae to ground out, and his pitches began to shake violently.
He gave up back-to-back singles to Lee Ji-young and Ha Jae-hoon, putting runners on first and second. It was clear that Koo Seung-min was not okay after being hit by the ball, but Lotte’s option here was left-hander Song Jae-young (22), not Han Hyun-hee, who was warming up in the bullpen. It was a surprise move, even if the opposing batting order leads to a left-handed hitter in Choi Sang-min and there is no right-hander available to pinch-hit.
After graduating from Raongo, Song Jae-young was drafted by Lotte in the fourth round of the 2021 draft (31st overall) and made his first-team debut in 2021, but didn’t make much of an 안전놀이터 impact. He was discharged from the army after being recognized for his improvement in the commerce. However, he only appeared in three games in the first team this year until yesterday, with a 27.00 ERA. He pitched well against SSG the day before, and it was a relatively easy left-handed lineup, but it was a clear gamble. It was unclear if the young and inexperienced pitcher would be able to handle the pressure.
But Song Jae-young was a force to be reckoned with. He stayed calm with his fastball and slider combo. He also had good command of his pitches. Against Choi Sang-min, he got a favorable 1B-2S count and then threw a four-pitch fastball down the middle to get a groundout. The Lotte bench pushed Song Jae-young, and he lived up to expectations. Against Park Sung-han, who has been hitting well of late, he worked a 1B-1S count and then fired back-to-back fastballs to get a swinging strikeout. It was the moment Lotte clinched the win, Song Jae-young’s first career save, and Lotte’s escape from yesterday’s nightmare.
After the game, LOTTE manager Kim Tae-hyung said, “The team’s mood could have been a little low after yesterday’s game, but the players were focused today and played well to win the game. Park Se-woong, who started the game, did a great job as a starter, and Son Ho-young also played a big role in raising the team’s mood with his good hitting.” “The last pitcher, Song Jae-young, pitched well and made a very valuable save,” said Kim, who also singled out Song as one of the players to be honored. The bench couldn’t have been happier for the youngster, who lived up to their expectations perfectly.
After receiving a huge celebration from the bench, Song Jae-young said after the game, “I told myself, ‘I can’t control the outcome. ‘ I was nervous after the start, but (Son) Sung-bin guided me well and I was able to hold the count and win the game. I’m happy that I was able to end the team’s losing streak, and I’ll do my best to continue to be in a position where I can be useful to the team.” “Before I talk about my first save, I can’t believe it because I’ve been dreaming about it and it’s unreal. I hope to continue to play a role in helping the team like I did today.” In a crisis situation, a player with the guts to grow into a giant appeared and saved Lotte.