Captain Koo Ja-wook's vacancy was too big. The Samsung Lions' lineup cooled down in a day.
Samsung lost 0-1 in Game 3 of the playoffs against the LG Twins in the 2024 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO postseason at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on the 17th.
At the first and second games held in Daegu, he erased concerns over sense of play in the real game with one stroke. He hit eight home runs, displaying the strength of his batters.
However, in the third game on the day, long balls were hardly hit. Jamsil Stadium seemed to have a significant impact on Diaz. Although Diaz made two big hits, all of them turned out to be fouls. Kim Young-woong's triple with two outs in the seventh inning was the only slugging spree.
It was painful that there was no timely hit as well as a long hit. He did not have a chance. After one out in the top of the fourth inning, he had a chance to hit Yoon Jeong-bin's hit and Park Byung-ho's hit to first and third bases with two outs, but no follow-up hit occurred. In the seventh inning, Kim Young-woong hit a triple after two outs to create an opportunity to tie the game, but as Lee Jae-hyun stepped down with a fly ball, the chance to score was revived.
In the eighth inning, Kim Ji-chan's infield hit and Yoon Jeong-bin's walk gave him a chance to hit first and second bases with two outs. Diaz, who had the best hitting sense in this game, entered the batter's box, but unfortunately, he grounded out to shortstop, and no run was made.
The vacancy of the center hitter Koo Ja-wook seemed too big. Koo connected the top and center batters well in the third batting order. You can tell by looking at the previous two games. In the first and second games, Koo had four hits and three RBIs in five times at bat, including three-run home runs.
However, he suffered an injury. Koo had a hit at the first batter's box in Game 2, but he got hurt while stealing the second base.
Although he managed to score on Diaz's double, he limped off and struggled to make it home. Later, he moved to a hospital for examination, and was found to have fine damage to his ligament in his left knee. As a result, he was unable to play in the third and fourth games. Koo Ja-wook left for Japan for a quick recovery. He headed to the Ijima Treatment Center, which specializes in rehabilitation treatment. He will return on July 18 after receiving treatment.
"It is said that the pain has subsided compared to yesterday's (June 16). I am not wearing crutches. However, when I walk without crutches, there is pain," coach Park Jin-man said. "Players have different degrees of recovery. We need to see how much improvement there is."
It is positive that the pain in the injured area is decreasing and that he is no longer using crutches. The question is whether the pain will continue or not. After returning home on the 18th, it is necessary to closely check his physical condition. 메이저놀이터
For Samsung, it is the best scenario for Koo Ja-wook to recover quickly and return, but the influence is different just because Koo Ja-wook is with the team. Attention is also focusing on whether Koo Ja-wook, who is returning home, will join the team and change the atmosphere.