They create plenty of chances, but they don’t capitalize on them. As a result, they often give their opponents the momentum, which leads to losing streaks. This is the story of the NC Dinos, who have been slumping since May.
On May 25, the NC Dinos, led by manager Kang In-hwa, lost 6-10 to the LG Twins, led by Yoon Kyung-yup, in a regular-season road game of the 2024 KBO League at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul. The loss, their third in a row, dropped the Dinos to 23 losses (27 wins and 1 draw) and dropped them one spot from fourth to fifth place. Including today’s loss, the Dinos have not been in the best of form lately, going just 7-1-1 in May.
A lack of goals was the main reason for NC’s loss on the day. NC created several chances on the day, but were unable to find the back of the net enough to get the win. As a result, they face their second three-game losing streak of the season.
The first opportunity came in the top of the first inning. Choi Jung-won walked, Park Gun-woo singled to right, the opposing pitcher threw a wild pitch, and Kwon Hee-dong singled to load the bases. Seo Ho-cheol then drew a walk to load the bases. However, Kim Joo-won was silenced with a grounder to shortstop.
NC was not smiling in the top of the second inning. Kim Hyung-joon and Kim Sung-wook singled to put runners on first and second with no outs, but Son Asub was retired on a foul fly to third base. Choi Jung-won and Park Gun-woo then struck out and grounded out to the first baseman, respectively, to end the inning.
When they couldn’t run away, they were forced to face the opponent’s counterattack. In the bottom of the second inning, starter Lee Yong-joon was shaky. He gave up singles to Park Dong-won (walk), Moon Bo-kyung (single), and Oh Ji-hwan (walk) to load the bases with nobody out, and Koo Bon-hyuk was hit by a pitch. Heo Do-hwan and Hong Chang-ki followed with back-to-back RBI doubles and an RBI single up the middle to take the early lead.
After cutting the deficit to one run in the top of the third inning on Matt Davidson’s 120.7-meter solo arch over the left field fence (No. 12 of the season), NC was plagued by constipated baseball in the top of the fifth inning. Park Gun-woo and 토토사이트 Davidson singled to put runners on first and second, but Kwon Hee-dong grounded out to third base. Seo Ho-cheol was then retired on a grounder to second base.
Contrary to NC’s behavior, LG came up with a metallurgical hit when they needed it and extended their lead. In the bottom of the fifth inning, the cannons came out. With runners on first and third, Park Dong-won blasted a three-run homer to left-center field (his eighth of the season).
NC had a long way to go, but they were not smiling in the top of the sixth inning. With the bases loaded after singles by Kim Joo-won, Kim Sung-wook, and Son Asub, Choi Jung-won hit a double to center field, but Park Gun-woo threw him out at third base.
After surviving the threat, LG made another run. In the bottom of the sixth, Park Hae-min doubled to left center to score the 10th run.
But it was still a frustrating NC batting lineup. In the top of the seventh, Han Seok-hyun’s infield single and Seo Ho-chul’s single to right put runners on first and second, but Kim Joo-won (fly to center field) and Oh Young-soo (fly to third base) were both stranded. In the top of the eighth and ninth innings, Park Gun-woo’s RBI double to center field and Seo Ho-chul’s 125.2-meter solo shot to center field, respectively, brought the total to two runs, but that was it, and NC had to accept a bitter defeat.
It was a close game, literally. The NC batting lineup had 15 hits on the day, seven more than LG (8), and drew five walks, but there was a big difference in run production. They left 12 on base. Calling it bad luck is not an excuse, as NC’s recent performances have generally been similar to this.
The NC offense’s struggles in scoring position have come to a head in May. In April, their batting average with 슬롯사이트 순위 runners in scoring position was .282, but through five games this week, that number is just .220.
The up-and-down hitting cycle throughout the season doesn’t excuse the NC bats. The NC bats didn’t do too badly against the Jamsil LG Electronics on the 24th and 25th, pounding out a combined 23 hits, but only scored 10 runs. This, coupled with the bullpen’s continued struggles in May (the team’s bullpen ERA was 6.08 in May), has caused NC, which had won 20 games and lost 11 games in April, to fall from first place to fifth.
The most concerning part is that this “constipated baseball” could become a chronic condition if prolonged. A string of unsatisfactory results on the scoreboard can leave a lasting impression on the players’ minds, which can lead to pressure.
Clearly, it’s time to reorganize. The first step is to unblock the blockage. To do so, it’s not only the players’ mindset and determination, but also the role of head coach Kang In-hwa. The team will need to be more flexible in the way they play and use different strategies.