KIA Tigers’ foreign fielder Socrates Brito (30) failed to catch the ball in one motion. This resulted in an extra run for the Tigers and their second straight loss.
KIA lost 1-7 against the Lotte Giants of the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League at Sajik Stadium in Busan on the afternoon of Nov. 11. With the second straight loss, KIA remained in sixth place with 44 wins, 2 draws and 45 losses.
Kia, which had been on a hot streak in the second half of the season, lost 2-6 against the LG Twins on April 9. Despite the firepower of the LG bats and a strong start from starter Lee Jung-yong, four errors were a problem. In the infield, a relay error by Choi Won-jun, Kim Kyu-sung, Kim Do-young, and Park Chan-ho gave LG an easy run.
To avoid a repeat of the LG loss, KIA inserted Hwang Dae-in, who has more experience defending first base, as the starting first baseman against Lotte on the 11th. The other infielders were also focused. Shortstop Park Chan-ho made a diving catch on Yoon Dong-hee’s hit to start the game and showed stability.
This time, however, the problem was in the outfield. Trailing 0-2 in the bottom of the fifth inning, KIA starter Thomas Panoni gave up a single to left-center field to Ahn Chi-hong with one out. Center fielder Socrates chased it down, and pinch runner Son Sung-bin rounded second base and headed for third. If Socrates made the throw, he would be able to steal third base. However, Socrates failed to make the throw.
The ball hit Socrates’ glove and rolled out of play. Seeing this, Lotte’s third base coach Jeon Jun-ho turned his arm. It was a signal for Son Sung-bin to run home. Socrates didn’t just miss the ball, he spent a lot of time searching for it and throwing it to cutter Park Chan-ho. Eventually, Park Chan-ho received Socrates’ throw and brought it home, but Son Sung-bin’s feet were fast and he gave up an extra run.
It was a heartbreaking result for KIA. They trailed Lotte by two runs in the top of the fifth inning, but it was a gap that could be overcome as Lotte’s bullpen was exhausted from the three-game series in midweek. However, a fielding error by Socrates extended the lead to three runs, and KIA was unable to bring in the winning run in the bottom of the sixth inning, falling behind 0-5. Socrates’ defensive mistakes proved to be the death knell for KIA. 메이저사이트
Sixth-ranked KIA, which has a long way to go to qualify for the top five, lost its second straight game due to a defensive error, this time by outfielder Socrates. Choi Won-jun, who was substituted as a first baseman, committed a throwing error in the eighth inning. KIA needs to improve its defense to reach the top five.
-Shan Still cut: Still cut means to show a still picture of a video. It depicts a scene of a crucial match in detail as it is.