The Lotte Giants' star rookie and promising players showed satisfactory performances.
Lotte lost to the Orix Buffaloes in the Miyazaki Spring League at Miyazaki Soken Stadium in Japan on the 27th by a score of 1-4. With this, Lotte marked 1 win and 2 losses in the spring league.
On this day, Lotte started with Charlie Barnes as the pitcher. Jang Doo-seong (center fielder), Park Seung-wook (shortstop), Na Seung-yeop (first baseman), Jeon Jun-woo (designated hitter), Jeon Min-jae (third baseman), Choi Hang (second baseman), Jo Se-jin (right fielder), Lee In-han (left fielder), and Park Gun-woo (catcher) were in the starting lineup.
That day, starting pitcher Barnes threw 50 pitches over 3 innings, allowing 5 hits, 1 walk, 1 hit by pitch, and recording 3 earned runs. His fastball peaked at 145 km/h. He used 13 fastballs, 18 sliders, 10 changeups, and 9 two-seam fastballs.
Barnes retired the side in order in the first inning, but in the second, he faced a crisis with no outs, allowing consecutive hits to Jordan Diaz and Yamanaka, resulting in a first and third situation. He gave up a timely hit to Ikeda, leading to a run. In the continued no outs, first and second base situation, he allowed a ground ball to the shortstop, resulting in one out and first and third base, but he gave up another run in the process of inducing Sano to hit a ground ball to the second baseman. He allowed 2 earned runs in the first inning.
In the third inning, he allowed a sacrifice fly to Jordan Diaz with no outs and a bases-loaded situation, contributing to additional runs. However, he did not allow any further runs. Lotte scored their only point of the game when Jo Se-jin hit a left-field timely hit during Lotte's opportunity of first and second base with one out, created after consecutive hits by Jeon Min-jae and Choi Hang in the top of the seventh inning. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Song Jae-young, who came up, allowed a bases-loaded situation with 2 walks and a double, leading to 4 runs scored via a sacrifice fly. This was the decisive point, and Lotte could not score any more.
Lotte's batting lineup produced 6 hits but struck out 11 times. However, Jo Se-jin performed well with a multi-hit in his first starting game of the practice match.
After starting pitcher Barnes threw 3 innings, Park Jun-woo pitched 1 inning allowing 2 hits with no runs. From the 5th inning, this year's first-round star rookie left-hander Kim Tae-hyun stepped up. Although his buildup process was delayed due to hamstring pain during the camp period, he raised his physical condition according to his pace and made his first real competition appearance wearing the Lotte uniform on that day.
Kim Tae-hyun went to the mound in the 5th inning and issued a walk to the lead-off batter Osato. However, with a sharp pickoff, he caught the runner at first base. He then retired Nishino with a fly out to right field and struck out Jordan Diaz, finishing the inning without allowing any runs. His fastball peaked at 136 km/h. He used 7 fastballs, 2 curves, and 2 forkballs. After that, starting resource Park Jin pitched 2 innings, allowing 1 walk and striking out 3, maintaining a scoreless performance in the mid-to-late stages of the game.
Lotte will play an exhibition game against its sister team, Chiba Lotte Marines, on the 28th.
[OSEN = Reporter Jo Hyung-rae]