It wasn’t easy to play without two of our best outfielders. This was a big concern for the head coach. In the end, the Doosan Bears’ fears were realized.
Doosan fell to a 2-9 loss in the eighth game of the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League against the LG Twins at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on April 28, their third straight defeat. Their season record now stands at 44 wins, 1 tie, and 39 losses (0.530).
There were a number of changes to Doosan’s lineup leading up to the game, the most notable of which was the absence of starting center fielder Jung Soo-bin. He had sprained his finger trying to make a diving catch during the previous day’s home game against the Lotte Giants, making it difficult for him to bat normally. He was only able to play defense or pinch-hit in the second half of the game, leaving left fielder Cho Su-hyun, center fielder Kim Tae-geun, and right fielder Jose Rojas in the outfield.
In addition, Kim Jae-hwan, who was suffering from a cold, missed his second consecutive game on the 27th against the Jamsil Lotte Giants. Before the game, Doosan manager Lee Seung-yeop expressed concern, saying, “We need to win quickly because the losing streak can be long after a winning streak, but with Kim Jae-hwan out and Jung Soo-bin a little sick, that’s a bit of a concern.”
After surrendering two runs in the first inning, Doosan immediately responded with an RBI single by Kim Tae-geun in the bottom of the second inning, but were unable to add any more runs in the third inning and were hounded by LG starter Casey Kelly. To make matters worse, Rojas complained of minor back pain during his first at-bat and was replaced by pinch-hitter Hong Seong-ho before his second at-bat.
As a result, Doosan was without three of its starting outfielders on the day. The remaining players, including multi-hit Kang Seung-ho, tried to fill the void, but it wasn’t enough. In the bottom of the seventh inning, Kim Tae-geun’s grounder to the third baseman scored Kang Seung-ho from third.바카라사이트
For the team, the absence of the three players was a burden. Injuries are a “worst-case scenario” when you’re in the thick of the race. Doosan, which is desperate to end its losing streak, is keeping a close eye on their physical condition and recovery.