This is the effect of an extended entry. The Lotte Giants are benefiting from the extended entry effect. At the center of the drive is Junghoon Lee (30), a resource for the special joker. The time has come when the role of a Junghoon Lee is more important than ever.
Lotte came from behind to win 7-5 after a close game against KT Wiz in Sajik on Sunday. The team turned the game around by concentrating on its batters, which had been losing 1-4.
Lotte had chances to have its big innings and Joker in the seventh inning. In the bottom of the seventh inning, leadoff hitter Reyes got the chance through a critical hit, and Jeon Joon-woo’s timely double hit to the upper left-center fence to recover a run. It was 2-4, and Jung Hoon’s timely double to right-center caught up to 3-4. KT gave Jeong a strong chance to replace the pitcher from starting pitcher Benjamin to must-win pitcher Kim Min, but Lotte did not care.
Then, Na Seung-yeop scored a timely hit to right to tie the game at 4-4. Park Seung-wook’s critical hit continued his chances at the first and third bases with no outs. At this time, the Lotte bench moved. At bat, the Lotte Giants changed its catcher position from Son Seong-bin to Information-geun, and staged another pinch-hitter operation. Lotte braced itself again to run out of catcher entries, and displayed Junghoon Lee as a pinch-hitter.
Junghoon Lee was registered in the first team at the same time as the expansion entry was launched on the 1st. Thanks to the expansion entry, Lotte Bench was able to boldly deploy the operation and put a substitute resource called Lee Jung-hoon into the match situation.
In the end, Lee achieved his wish as everyone wished. Lee Jeong-hoon, who appeared as a substitute for catcher Information-geun at the first and third bases with no outs, scored a timely hit to the right. The score resulted from the team’s turnaround of 5-4. While Lee was serving as a substitute, Junghoon Lee produced the best result that the team wanted. 메이저놀이터
Junghoon Lee was released by its debut team, the KIA Tigers, after the end of the last 2022 season. However, Lotte, which had an eye on Junghoon Lee’s batting talent, recalled Junghoon Lee. The catcher, his original position, was recognized for his batting talent even though it was difficult. He is expanding his presence as a reliable substitute for the first team. This year, however, he was listed on the first team roster for the first time since July 26. And he wowed everyone with limited opportunities and played the role of a special joker.
Junghoon Lee explained after the match against KT in Sajik on the 4th, “I prepared thinking that I would go out as a pinch hitter in a situation where I needed a score in the second half of the game.”
“I’m in a position where I have to concentrate on one at-bat,” he said. “When I entered the batter’s box in the bottom of the seventh inning, the first and second bases were empty, and the opposing pitcher was a good pitcher with a fast ball. I tried to hit actively with the point in the front and send the ball between the first and second bases,” he said.
He also did not forget his gratitude. “Coaches Lee Byung-kyu and Lee Sung-gon gave me feedback that the points were too far back at Futures,” he said. “I practiced a lot to actively hit and put the points in front of me. I checked my mindset to go to the batter’s box without paying attention to records and results. Thanks to this process, I think today’s results have been achieved.”
Lotte manager Kim Tae-hyung has barely finished composing the extended entry. And now these members are showing that they are becoming both hidden and key cards in Lotte’s fall baseball challenge.