SSG Landers’ starting lineup is suspect. The starting lineup, which looked rich at the beginning of the season, is now showing cracks.
Coach Kim Won-hyung’s worries are deepening. The team has suffered back-to-back losses due to the poor performance of the expected starters. The team hasn’t been performing well lately. They’ve lost five of their last six games, and their starters haven’t been up to the task.
They were swept by the Changwon NC Dinos from September 9-11 as Oh Won-seok, Kirk McCarty, and Kim Kwang-hyun struggled.
Won-seok Oh gave up five runs in six innings on the first day of the three-game series in Changwon, McCarty gave up five runs (one earned) in five innings the next day, and Kwang-hyun Kim struggled with four runs in 4⅓ innings on the final day.
In the case of McCarty and Kwang-hyun Kim, you might say, “it happens,” but the back-to-back collapses of the expected starters meant that SSG, who were in the lead, couldn’t distance themselves from the second-place LG Twins, who finished the series with a sweep against the Daejeon Hanwha Eagles.
SSG returned to Incheon to take on the KT Wiz in the first game of a three-game weekend series, winning 8-1 behind a strong performance from foreign pitcher Roenis Elias.
They recovered from the loss. However, on the 14th, Submarine pitcher Jong-hoon Park gave up eight runs in three innings in a 4-14 loss. Jong-hoon was eventually removed from the first team ahead of the 15th game.
SSG lost 3-6 in the ninth game of the 2023 안전놀이터 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League season against the KT Wiz at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on April 15. Left-hander Oh Won-seok failed to meet expectations again.
After giving up five runs in six innings against Changwon on Sept. 9, he didn’t last five innings against KT. He gave up five runs (three earned) on five hits (one home run) with two walks and one strikeout before giving way to right-hander Choi Min-jun in the fifth inning.
He struggled with two runs in the first and second innings and one more in the third. For the second game in a row, SSG starters Park Jong-hoon and Oh Won-seok were removed from the mound before the fifth inning.
Elias’ arrival seemed to be the final piece of the puzzle for the SSG starting lineup. The lack of performance from the expected pitchers has put a damper on the ranking fight.
The starting lineup consisted of Kim Kwang-hyun, Park Jong-hoon, and Oh Won-seok with two outsiders. SSG, which had even moved starter Moon Seung-won to the bullpen, faltered and eventually lost the top spot to LG.