KT fights back…but what’s left to do…bat in the middle?
After being pushed to the brink, the KT Wiz have launched a counterattack.
KT, which qualified directly for the playoffs (PO-5 best-of-3) in second place, had 19 days to prepare for the start of fall baseball after wrapping up the regular season on the 10th of last month. However, the team got off to a rocky start in the PO due to the long gap in practice.
The trusted pitchers faltered, and the defense was exposed. In the end, they lost the first and second games in Suwon, Anbang, in a row, and were in crisis.
However, KT didn’t go down without a fight.
Gradually regaining their form over the course of the match, KT put the brakes on NC’s momentum with a 3-0 win in Game 3 of the POs, which moved to Changwon on the 2nd. With a solid mound and a renewed focus on defense, 카지노사이트 KT head coach Lee Kang-cheol was pleased with the performance, saying, “We played like a team.”
However, not all of KT’s puzzle pieces are in place yet. Their center fielders are still struggling.
KT’s No. 4 hitter, Park Byung-ho, is just 2-for-12 (.167 batting average) in the series.
He struggled in Game 1, striking out in three straight at-bats against opposing ace Eric Peddy, and was held in check by NC starter Shin Min-hyuk in Game 2.
In Game 3, Park’s bat remained silent, going hitless in four at-bats. In the sixth inning, with the bases loaded, he singled to center field.
Batting third, Alford’s bat is even more frustrating than Park’s.
Alford has yet to get a hit in the series. He is 0-for-8 with only three strikeouts.
KT hasn’t been able to field its best lineup in the postseason due to injuries. Kim Min-hyuk has been limited to pinch-hitting due to a season-ending hamstring injury, while Kang Baek-ho has been sidelined with a side injury.
Without 100 percent capacity, Alford and Park Byung-ho’s struggles at the three and four spots are even more pronounced. Coach Lee Kang-cheol lamented the absence of Park Byung-ho and Alford, saying, “If they play well, it will be easier for us.”
The only consolation is that the bottom of the order, Moon Sang-chul, has been hitting two home runs apiece. Add to that a revival in the middle of the order, and KT’s ‘reversal drama’ could be complete.