Участник:Sportst10otototop
Lotte Yoo Kang-nam Stretches Again 'Three-Point Home Run and Full Lead'
Lotte Giants' Yoo Kang-nam (30) settled the main catcher problem, which was the team's weakness, after transferring as a free agent ahead of this season. He played the most innings (654 innings) in the team as a catcher. Kim Joon-tae (793 innings, now KT Wiz) was the only Lotte catcher in 2020 who played more than 600 innings in a season from the 2018 season when Kang Min-ho (Samsung Lions) qualified as an FA and moved. The fact that Yoo Kang-nam has firmly established himself as a hostess is a big income for Lotte.
However, it was a bit disappointing in the attack. Considering that his career batting average was 0.267 until last year, it is difficult to be satisfied with a season batting average of 0.230 (62 hits in 270 at-bats). He also failed to properly show his long-range hitting power, which hit double-digit home runs for five consecutive years from 2017 to 2021. It is as clear as he played the catcher's original role well, but given the size of the FA contract with a total of 8 billion won in four years, it is necessary to show productivity in the attack. In addition, he had to be excluded from the first-tier entry for 19 days from July 29 to August 16 due to a ruptured internal abdominal muscle, and there was no noticeable reversal even after hitting a multi-hit in his return match on August 17. His batting average was only 0.225 (60 hits in 267 at-bats) until the 4th.
However, it was different in the home game against the Ulsan Samsung Lions on the 5th. He started as the sixth batter catcher and led his team to a 10-3 victory with two hits, one home run, three RBIs and one run in three at-bats. Lotte (53 wins and 59 losses), ranked seventh, chased the sixth-ranked Doosan Bears (55 wins, 1 draw and 55 losses), whose Jamsil showdown was postponed due to rain, by three games and the fifth-ranked KIA Tigers (56 wins, 2 draws and 50 losses) by six games. https://www.sportstototop.com
He swung a light bat from the start. At the bottom of the first inning with a 1-0 lead, he hit Samsung starter Choi Chae-heung's first fastball (141km/h) and connected it with a three-run home run (season 7) over the left-center fence. Yoo Kang-nam, who checked the ball, raised his hand and cheered. In the bottom of the third inning, he hit a double on the right-field line as the leadoff hitter.
He also played his part in defense until he was replaced by pinch hitter Han Dong-hee in the bottom of the eighth inning. Starting pitcher Aaron Wilkerson, who won his 4th win (1 loss) of the season, pitched 6 innings, 2 hits, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts, and 3 runs, and Shin Jung-rak, who worked together until the 8th inningHe also contributed to Kim Jin-wook, Kim Sang-soo, and Jin Seung-hyun's scoreless runs. Ahead of the game, Lotte's acting coach Lee Jong-woon stressed that "every game is the final," and "8 billion catchers" Yoo Kang-nam stretched wide again.