The downward spiral of last year’s champion SSG Landers continues unabated.
SSG lost 4-15 against Lotte in the 2023 KBO League on Sunday at Sajik Stadium in Busan.
After dropping all three games of a three-game series against Lotte in Busan, SSG fell into a three-game losing streak and dropped to zero points behind third-place KT, which won its fifth straight game on the day. The gap between SSG and KT is only two points.
Prior to the game, Lotte head coach Sutton complained of dizziness, and acting coach Lee Jong-woon took over the reins to face SSG.
It was expected that Lotte would struggle in the absence of their captain, but instead, their bats came alive and put pressure on SSG.
Lotte scored two runs in the top of the first inning to take the lead, but immediately gave up three hits in the top of the second to tie the game again. However, Lotte scored one run in the third and two in the fourth to take the lead and seemed to have the game won in the sixth when Jeon Jun-woo hit an RBI single.
SSG, desperate to avoid a third straight loss, scored two runs in the top of the eighth to cut the deficit to two, but in the fateful bottom of the inning, Lotte’s bats exploded for nine runs in unison.
Veteran LOTTE hitter Jeon Jun-woo spearheaded the offense, going 4-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs, while catcher Yoo Kang-nam, who returned to the first team, also had a strong outing, going 3-for-5 with two RBIs.
On the other hand, SSG, who were once in a tie for first place with LG, have fallen to the point where even second place is in doubt.
SSG has been struggling with their batting lately, and even 카지노사이트 their bullpen collapsed against Lotte in the final game of their midweek three-game series, deepening manager Kim Won-hyung’s woes.
The team’s slump is one thing, but it’s the pressure of KT’s unrelenting rise that’s bothering SSG.
On Sunday, KT swept the three-game series against Doosan, with catcher Jang Sung-woo single-handedly driving in five runs. Once down to a -14 win-loss margin, KT has been on a two-month winning streak with a winning percentage of more than 7 percent, winning more games than losing 11 times.