Kia Tigers slugger Na Sung-beom couldn’t stop his team’s three-game losing streak. His head was down as he committed a fatal boneheaded play on defense.
KIA lost the seventh game of the 2024 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League against the Lotte Giants 3-9 at Kia Champions Field in Gwangju on Friday. It was the second consecutive day the team dropped a game to Lotte, following an 0-6 sweep the day before.
Kia opened the scoring in the top of the third inning when starter Hwang Dong-ha gave up an infield single to Lotte’s Victor Reyes with runners on second and third, allowing second baseman Yoon Dong-hee to boldly steal home. He then gave up an RBI single to Son Ho-young to make it 0-2.
Hwang Dong-ha held the Lotte bats scoreless until the top of the fourth inning, giving Kia a platform to fight back. Although the Kia bats were held scoreless by Lotte starter Han Hyun-hee until the fifth inning, they were still in position to pull off a mid-game upset.
However, Kia gave up an extra run to Lotte in a somewhat ridiculous fashion. In the top of the fifth inning, Reyes hit an outfield fly ball to center field, but Kia right fielder Na Sung-beom somehow didn’t continue the replay after the throw.
Lotte second baseman Go Seung-min had just tagged up and was running to third base when Na caught Reyes’ throw. Na didn’t take any action for about seven or eight seconds, as if he misunderstood the out count. His teammates yelled for second baseman Kim Sun-bin to make the relay play, which he did.
Go Seung-min didn’t miss the gap left by Na Sung-beom. He quickly stole third base and drove home. Kia was now down 0-3.
The scorekeeper ruled that the run was not scored by the second baseman’s dexterity, but by Na’s throwing error. As it turned out, KIA scored two 스포츠토토 runs in the bottom of the sixth inning and could have tied the game if not for Na’s error.
Kia manager Lee Beom-ho was disappointed with Na’s error, so he switched right fielder to Lee Chang-jin at the start of the sixth inning. With a three-run deficit and six to nine innings left to attack, he made a bold move to replace a key hitter.
Lee Bum-ho has rarely made a quick change to a player who has committed an error or a boneheaded play in a game since taking over the KIA managerial reins this season. On this occasion, however, he sent a strong message to the entire team by replacing Na Sung-beom while the team was on a losing streak.
Coincidentally, Kia had runners on first and second in the bottom of the sixth inning when Park Chan-ho reached on an error by Lotte and Kim Do-young singled 카지노사이트 up the middle. The bases were loaded in front of Na Sung-beom’s No. 3 spot.
However, Na Sung-beom was retired and Lee Chang-jin was stranded on an infield fly. Kia scored one more run a batter later on Choi Hyung-woo’s RBI single and a wild pitch by Lotte pitcher Kim Sang-soo on a 1-3 pitch.
Na Sung-beom left something to be desired both defensively and at the plate. He was stranded at first base in the bottom of the first inning on a fly ball to center field and at second base in the bottom of the third inning on a double play.
Kia fell into a three-game losing streak and dropped to 0.5 games behind the second-place LG Twins.