From the beginning, we meet the NC US Express Ace… 190cm submarine from Lotte, will Park Jin-man-ho become the 5th starter?
Will Choi Ha-neul be able to take his place as Park Jin-man-ho’s fifth starter?
The Samsung Lions, led by coach Park Jin-man, will play the 4th game of the season against the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League NC Dinos at Changwon NC Park on the 20th. Samsung succeeded in escaping from a 4-game losing streak by winning 5-4 the previous day.
The previous day, outfielder Kim Hyeon-joon had a successful return from injury and predicted a smooth sailing, and Baek Jeong-hyeon, ‘Baek Show’, continued his recent good pitching and entered the 2-point ERA range. In addition, Oh Seung-hwan, the ‘leader of the end’, washed away the sluggishness in April and made a save in about a month the previous day.
Will Choi Ha-neul be able to establish himself as Park Jin-man-ho’s fifth starter? Photo = Reporter Kim Young-gu
From June, while dreaming of becoming a complete group, there are still unsolved puzzles. 5 picks right away. The four starting lineup, consisting of David Buchanan, Albert Suarez, Won Tae-in, and Baek Jung-hyeon, is solid. Lee Tae-hee, who showed a good appearance, left for the Armed Forces Sports Corps (Sangmu), and Yang Chang-seop, Jang Pil-jun, and Heo Yun-dong did not perform well. Someone has to step in and fill the 5th starting spot.
The runner up this time is Choi Ha-neul. In the Futures League this season, he made a strong impression with 2 wins in 4 games and an average ERA of 1.02. In the match against Goyang Heroes on the 2nd and against LG on the 10th, he started as a starter and won 2 runs in 5.2 innings and 6 scoreless innings, respectively. Choi Ha-neul is expected to be registered as a first-team entry ahead of the match. First team call-up of the season.
On the 16th, manager Park Jin-man said, “The pitching coach said that when he comes up to the first team, his speed will increase by 2 km more than when he was with the Futures. When he goes up, he believes that the velocity will pass the middle and late 130 km. He showed anticipation, saying, “I think he will show a terrifying appearance when the circle changeup, which is an advantage, comes out.”
Choi Ha-neul, from Gyeonggi High School, joined the Lotte Giants in the 2018 2nd 7th round, 63rd. He came over from Lotte through a trade with Lee Hak-joo ahead of last season. In 14 games last season, he went 1-4 with 1 hold and an ERA of 6.15.스포츠토토
He started four times last season. 1 win 3 losses. On August 19, against the Hanwha Eagles, he won 5.2 innings, 5 hits, 2 walks, 3 strikeouts, and no runs, and brought victory, which was Choi Ha-neul’s professional debut victory. The only appearance against NC is July 2, 2022 (0.1 innings scoreless).
The starting opponent for Choi Ha-neul’s match that day was Eric Peddy, who is bombing the league. Currently, Peddie is 6-1 with a 1.26 ERA in 8 games. He ranks first in both wins and ERA. He recorded 6 quality starts (3 earned runs or less in 6 starting innings), and has recently continued his streak of 4G consecutive QS. From his first start he meets strong opponents.
Can Choi Ha-neul and Park Jin-man-ho, who got their first starter opportunity of the season, settle into the 5th starter?