After dropping postseason series opener, Landers bring new lineup vs. Dinos
This Oct. 3 file photo shows SSG Landers manager Kim Won-hyong, right, during a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game against the NC Dinos at Incheon SSG Landers Field in Incheon, west of Seoul. Yonhap
Following a loss in the crucial opening game of their South Korean baseball postseason series, the SSG Landers will try to even things up with a new-look lineup against the NC Dinos on Monday.
The Landers dropped a 4-3 game at home, Incheon SSG Landers Field in Incheon, on Sunday, despite outhitting their opponents 8-7 to begin the first round series in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) postseason.
Facing starter Shin Min-hyeok, making his first postseason appearance, the Landers put a leadoff man on base in the third, fourth and fifth innings, only to come up empty-handed.
After the Dinos broke the scoreless deadlock in the top eighth, the Landers had a chance to pull even in the bottom half of that frame, putting men at second and third with just one out and the meat of their order coming up.
But they could only muster one run, via Choi Jeong's sacrifice fly. Cleanup Guillermo Heredia struck out to end that threat.
The Landers trailed 4-1 heading into the bottom ninth, when a two-run homer by Ha Jae-hoon off struggling closer Lee Yong-chan made it a one-run contest.
But then the next three batters went down in order.
One of those batters, outfielder Choi Ji-hoon will start Monday's Game 2 on the bench.
In comes Choo Shin-soo, the former American League All-Star who had a pinch-hit single Sunday. He will be back in his familiar spot at the top of the lineup. Choi Joo-hwan, who belted out 20 homers while splitting time at first base and second base during the regular season, will take over at first base over Oh Tae-gon, who went 0-for-3 on Sunday.
In other changes, shortstop Park Seong-han was dropped from No. 2 to No. 7.
"We've got to score some runs early, not in the eighth or ninth," Landers manager Kim Won-hyong told reporters in his pregame scrum. "That will lessen the pressure on our starting pitchers. We couldn't capitalize on our chances yesterday, and that has to change."
Ha Jae-hoon of the SSG Landers hits a two-run home run against the NC Dinos during the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 1 of the first round series in the Korea Baseball Organization postseason at Incheon SSG Landers Field in Incheon, west of Seoul, on Oct. 22. Yonhap
Not surprisingly the Dinos are sticking with the exact same lineup as Sunday's game.
Manager Kang In-kwon said he contemplated inserting Kim Seong-uk, who delivered a pinch-hit homer Sunday, into the starting lineup, but ultimately decided not to mess with success.
"I think everyone in the lineup (from Sunday) has been swinging the bat well," Kang said. "Instead of changing things up, I am going to make sure we have some stability for now."
Kang has other concerns on his mind -- namely, the performance of closer Lee Yong-chan.
Lee was touched for a two-run homer in the ninth inning Sunday, just three days after allowing three runs on three hits in 1 1/3 innings in the wild card game against the Doosan Bears.
Kang said he will stick to the 34-year-old right-hander for now because he doesn't want to have to make such a drastic change in the postseason.
"I'll trust him to turn things around," Kang said. "Just because we replace him, it won't automatically mean the new closer will do better." (Yonhap)