A play that didn’t make sense ended up costing them the game.
The top-ranked LG Twins lost 3-6 against the Gwangju KIA Tigers on the 27th. With the victory, Kia’s ace Yang Hyun-jong won his 162nd career game and moved into sole possession of second place on the all-time wins list.
LG was looking for an upset win, but a bizarre play cost them.
Trailing 3-6 in the top of the seventh inning. One out later, Jung Ju-hyun singled up the middle and Park Hae-min walked to put runners on first and second. KIA starter Yang Hyun-jong, who was nearing his limit pitch count, faltered with his pitches. No. 1 Hong Chang-ki picked off two pitches in a row in the 1B1S and waited for five pitches in a favorable count in the 3B1S. The fifth pitch was a 144-kilometer fastball that was right on Hong’s body. It was inside the strike zone on the replay screen, but the umpire called it a strike. Kia catcher Shin Beom-soo threw to third base. Second baseman Jung Ju-hyun tried to steal third, but Shin’s throw was accurate, and Jung was easily out.
The 2023 KBO League game between the LG Twins and the KIA Tigers was held at KIA Champions Field in Gwangju on July 27. LG manager Yeom Kyung-yup watches the game. Gwangju=Sang-wook Heo 기자wook@sportschosun.com/2023.05.27/
In the second inning, Hong Chang-ki drew a six-pitch walk, and when Moon Sung-joo came up to bat in the second inning, Choi Ji-min’s pitch became a fastball that the catcher couldn’t catch properly. However, No. 3 Oh Ji-hwan flied out to center field, adding one hit, three walks, and a fastball, but was unable to score, and even though they had a chance to score in the ninth inning, the game ended 3-6 with no runs scored.
It was a disappointing top of the seventh inning. Assuming that the next batter’s situation would have been the same, Jung Joo-hyun would have had the first out if he didn’t try to steal, a fastball would have brought in a run, Moon Sung-joo would have walked to put runners on first and second and third, Oh Ji-hwan would have hit a sacrifice fly to center field to make it 5-6, and Austin Dean would have come in with runners on first and second or first and third. Of course, if the situation is different, the response will be different, and the outcome will be different, but it’s already happened, so there’s no point in using this hypothetical.
The 2023 KBO League game between the LG Twins and the KIA Tigers was held at KIA Champions Field in Gwangju on July 27. LG’s Jeong Ju-hyun. Gwangju = Heo Sang-wook 기자wook@sportschosun.com/2023.05.27/
But you can’t help but wonder. Why did Jeong steal third base on a 3B1S with runners on first and second?
Even if you have fast feet and the green light is on, it’s not easy to attempt a steal in that situation. It’s likely that he was caught.
It could have been a single steal by Jung, or it could have been a double steal with Jung running and Park not running.
Jeong doesn’t have incredibly fast feet, but he does have experience stealing bases. He stole 18 bases in 2018 and 15 in 2019. Up until last year, he had stolen 67 bases in his career, with 30 misses, for a 69.1% success rate.
While his success rate isn’t low, he hasn’t played much in the first team lately and hasn’t had many opportunities to do so. This season, he had two attempts to steal, one successful and one unsuccessful. With this one, he was successful once, unsuccessful twice.
It could have been a run-and-hit sign, where the runner runs and the batter hits if a strike is called, but not if it’s a ball. If a fastball up the middle is thrown for a strike, Hong Chang-ki has a chance to get a hit, but he thinks it’s a ball and doesn’t bat, and Jung Joo-hyun runs as planned and Park Hae-min doesn’t run.먹튀검증
It is also possible that Jung simply missed the sign.
Judging from the TV replays, which showed Yoon getting very upset, it was a missed play.
Regardless of the play, the result was a stolen base, which cost LG a big opportunity and ultimately the game.
LG has said that they will try to win the championship this season by adding details to their previous efforts. It’s embarrassing to see the ridiculousness that sometimes comes out, and to think this was in Game 7 of the Korean Series. They will have to refine and polish their game to make sure they don’t make any mistakes.