The Lotte Giants laughed in the first game of 2023. I laughed at the performance of the new face.
Lotte won the 3-0 cold game victory in the early 8th inning in the first exchange match with the Chiba Lotte Marines 2nd Army held at the Ishigaki Municipal Stadium in Japan on the 22nd. 스포츠토토
Na Kyun-an (3 innings no hit) and Kim Jin-wook (1 inning no hit), who are competing for the 5th starter, each recorded no runs. In the batting line, Jack Rex hit the final solo home run.
In addition to these, the newly added power also stood out.
Although Lotte left Dae-ho Lee in the off-season, they recruited a lot of new faces. Kang-nam Yoo (catcher), Jin-hyeok Noh (shortstop), and Hyeon-hee Han (pitcher) were recruited as free agents to reinforce the team’s weak point, the center line and starting mound. In addition, only 7 players who were released from other clubs, such as Cha Woo-chan (former LG Twins) and Kim Sang-soo (former SSG Landers), were brought in. In recent years, he even made a real deal in the rookie draft.
Yoo Kang-nam, who signed a contract for a total of 8 billion won over 4 years, recorded 1 hit (1 double) and 1 walk in 1 at-bat that day. He also led a scoreless pitch in harmony with the pitcher. Na Kyun-an welcomed, saying, “Catcher (Yoo) Gangnam-hyung led the ball I wanted to throw at the right place at the right time,” and said, “It was a satisfactory result.” Yoo Kang-nam said, “(Na) Kyun-an has good understanding of pitches, control, and balance since practice. He used various pitches evenly.” ” he replied.
Shin Jeong-rak and Yoon Myeong-jun, who were released from the Hanwha Eagles and Doosan Bears, pitched one inning each and scored no runs.
Ahn Kwon-soo, a Korean-Japanese who was released from Doosan, started as a leadoff that day and went 0-hit in 3 at-bats, but showed off his strength by recording a walk and a stolen base. Catcher Lee Jung-hoon, who was released from the KIA Tigers, took over the mask from Yoo Kang-nam and hit 1 hit in 1 at-bats. Kim Min-seok, who joined after being nominated for the first round of the 2023 rookie draft, played as a substitute and recorded 1 hit in 1 at bat.
The game on this day is an exchange match, and the opponent cannot attach much importance to it against the second team. However, it was a welcome ceremony for those starting out in a new team. Lotte smiled happily.
Lotte coach Larry Sutton said, “I am very satisfied with today’s performance and preparation process. Our pitching staff attacked the strike zone aggressively from the first inning. Na Kyun-an did not allow a single hit for 3 innings, creating an atmosphere. There was also good defense, but He also confirmed the need for improvement,” he said. “Hitters continued to create opportunities to score points, which are important.