Maybe it was the pressure, but the performance of second-year infielder Kim Do-young (19), who led the KIA Tigers’ hot late summer, suddenly dropped significantly.
KIA lost its sixth straight game against the LG Twins in Gwangju on the 19th. Facing a 3-4, one-run deficit in the bottom of the ninth inning, KIA had a chance to win the game when Oh Sun-woo walked with the bases loaded and the next batter, Choi Won-jun, singled to right. It was a chance to shut down the league’s top closer, Ko Woo-seok.
Kim Do-young, who came to bat, swung wildly at a four-seam fastball (right-handed) in the zone in the first inning, then tried the same pitch two pitches later, but hit a grounder in front of the second baseman. LG second baseman Shin Min-jae stepped on the ball and threw to first for the double play. The game was over. Kim was devastated.카지노
Kim made his comeback against the KT Wiz on June 23 after a lengthy rehabilitation period following an ankle injury suffered in the second game of the opening two-game series of the regular season. Since then, he has contributed to the team’s race to the top of the standings with his improved hitting ability, base running, and steady third base defense. During KIA’s nine-game winning streak from June 24 against KT Wiz to June 6 against Doosan, he served well as the offensive spearhead alongside Park Chan-ho, hitting a game-winning single and wedge home run against SSG Rangers on June 3 and a game-winning two-run homer in the fourth inning against Doosan on June 6.
Believing in Kim’s growth, KIA traded outfielder Ryu Ji-hyuk to the Samsung Lions in early July. The team then added Kim Tae-gun to bolster the outfield, a position of weakness. Kim was the team’s present and future.
However, in the last 11 games of the season, as the Tigers continue to battle for position, Kim has struggled, batting just .217 (10-for-46). Since filling in for leadoff hitter Park Chan-ho, who was sidelined with a left finger ligament injury against the Lotte Giants on July 13, Kim has gone hitless in three straight games. In the meantime, Kim Do-young took over the shortstop position that Park had been playing. On the 17th against Doosan, the fourth straight loss, he made a throwing error on a simple infield grounder.
Playing a key role in the climax of the standings race may have taken its toll on him, and Kia head coach Kim Jong-kook moved him back to his original position as a second baseman and third baseman. Kim rebounded with a three-hit game against Doosan on the 18th, and he had back-to-back hits against LG Electronics on the 19th, hitting a double in the eighth inning. However, he came up short in the ninth inning with a chance to tie the game.
Park Chan-ho started batting practice a few days ago and came close to making a comeback on the 19th, when he came on as a substitute. However, he and Choi Won-jun, who has been leading KIA’s mobility baseball team, will be out of the lineup starting on the 23rd due to their call-up to the Hangzhou Asian Games (AG) baseball team.
KIA has recently lost six in a row and has dropped to sixth place, though the gap hasn’t gotten much wider as top-five contender SSG’s form has dropped significantly. This is the most crucial time for KIA this season. They desperately need Kim Do-young to rebound.