Sunday, October 4, 2009

2009 KBO Playoffs: Round 1, Games 3 and 4


Game 3
Doosan 12, Lotte 3
W - Hong Sang-sam, L - Song Seung-joon

Game 4
Doosan 9, Lotte 5
W - Kim Sun-woo, L - Bae Jang-ho

Doosan wins the series 3-1.

I saw the equivalent of baseball hell in Korea. Outside the Lotte Department Store in Busan, Lotte erected a large TV screen and put about 300 chairs out for fans to sit and watch the game. The few fans that stayed for the 9th inning on Friday were the saddest people I've seen in a long time.

Doosan clobbered Lotte starter Song Seung-joon, while Doosan starting pitcher Hong Sang-sam was surprisingly effective. I still think he's the Korean version of a 90's version of Jamie Moyer, but whatever. He pitcher really well on Friday. Hong threw 6 1/3 innings(65 pitches, 50 strikes) of 1-run baseball. He gave up only 3 hits and struck out 2. 3rd baseman Kim Dong-ju had a huge game. The Doosan slugger went 3-4 with a homer, 5 RBIs and 2 runs scored. Left fielder Kim Hyeon-su posted a bizarre stat line. He went 1-1 with 4 walks and 3 runs scored.

It was more of the same on Saturday. Doosan jumped all over Lotte starter Bae Jang-ho early and cruised to an easy W. Lotte was able to keep this game from ridiculous score territory, but it was never really a game. Doosan starter Kim Sun-woo tossed 5 innings(73 pitches, 51 strikes) of 2-run ball. He gave up 4 hits and struck out 3. Most of the damage came on a 7-run rally in the Doosan half of the 3rd inning. One of the many key hits was a 3-RBI double from catcher Yong Deok-han. Lotte outfielder/lead off hitter Kim Ju-chan had a nice game. Kim went 2-4 with a double, a homer, 4 RBIs and 2 runs scored. At least he could tell his mom that he did his best when he went home for Chuseok.

Speaking of Chuseok...

Lotte Manager Jerry Royster donned a hanbok as punishment for Lotte's shameful performance. He gave the traditional bow and begged for forgiveness before committing ritual suicide with a rosin bag on the pitcher's mound. Just kidding. Totally. He put on the hanbok because Saturday was Chuseok and he wanted to join in the festivities. No ritual suicide was committed, no matter how shameful Lotte's performance was.

The playoffs continue with Doosan heading to Incheon to face SK in round 2. The next game is 10/7 at 6 PM Korean time. No word on the starting pitchers yet. If I had to guess, I'd say it would be Gary Glover for SK and Geum Min-cheol for Doosan.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Not mentioned in your write-up were the brutal errors that led to 5 unearned runs for Doosan in game 4. 4 were in the 3rd inning, when usually reliable Jo Seung Hwan butchered a 2-out, bases-loaded routine grounder. 1 run scored, and the next hitter hit a bases-clearing triple. Base-running also awful, as Lotte gave away two outs on the basepaths.
An all around total stinkbomb. Sad, sad way to end a season.

--angry steve--