‘WC MVP’ Seo Ho-cheol-‘2 home runs, 4 RBIs’ Kim Hyung-jun batting 6-7 in Game 1…SSG returns with ‘2 home runs’ Choi Jung
The NC Dinos head into the first round of the semifinals with an improved batting order that features players from the wild-card game.
NC named Son As-seop (designated hitter), Park Min-woo (second base), Park Gun-woo (right field), Jason Martin (center field), Kwon Hee-dong (left field), Seo Ho-cheol (third base), Kim Hyung-joon (catcher), Oh Young-soo (first base), and Kim Joo-won (shortstop) as its starting lineup for the first game of the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League postseason semifinals against SSG Landers at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on April 22.
NC, which finished fourth in the league with 75 wins, two draws and 67 losses this season, is coming off a 14-9 sweep of the Doosan Bears in the wild-card deciding game at Changwon NC Park on April 19. NC, which started the regular season in fourth place with one win, struggled after starter Tanner Tully gave up five runs in four innings and closer Lee Yong-chan gave up three runs. However, the bats came alive, including a solo home run by Seo Ho-cheol and a multi-homer game by Kim Hyung-jun, and they swept Dusan.
NC came out with a starting lineup that didn’t change much from the wild card game. However, there was a change in the bottom of the order. Seo Ho-cheol, who was named MVP after going 4-for-3 with a home run, six RBIs, two runs scored and one walk in the wild-card game, and Kim Hyung-jun, who hit a multi-homer game, moved up in the batting order one by one. Oh Young-soo will start at first base in place of Do Tae-hoon.
The starting pitcher is Shin Min-hyuk. Shin is 5-5 with a 3.98 ERA in 29 games (122 innings) this season. Against SSG, he pitched poorly with a 6.57 ERA in four games (12⅓ innings). In September and October, he went 1-0 with a 3.48 ERA in eight games (31 innings). Shin will be making his first appearance of the fall after throwing five scoreless innings against the KIA Tigers on Sept. 17. It was his first postseason appearance since making his professional debut in 2018.
After ace Eric Pedroia was hit by a pitch in his last start of the season and was removed from the roster for the wild-card game, it will be important for NC to hold up well until Pedroia returns. Game 1 starter Shin Min-hyuk will be especially important.
SSG will start Oh Tae-gon (1B), Park Sung-han (shortstop), Choi Jung (3B), Guillermo Heredia (LB), Han Yu-seom (designated hitter), Ha Jae-hoon (RB), Choi Ji-hoon (center field), Kim Sung-hyun (2B), and Kim Min-shik (catcher). Designated hitter Choi hasn’t played since April 10 against KIA due to a micro-injury in his left hamstring, but he returned in time for the semifinals. Choi Joo-hwan, 카지노사이트가이드 who is second on the team in home runs and tied for sixth in the league, is out of the starting lineup. Veteran Shin-Soo Choo will also start the game off the bench.
The starting pitcher will be Roenis Elias. Elias is 8-6 with a 3.70 ERA in 22 games (131⅓ innings) this season. He struggled against the Nats, going 3-1 with a 7.53 ERA in 14 innings, but hasn’t been bad since August, going 2-1 with a 3.83 ERA in eight games (49 innings).