Why wasn't 'substitute' Ahn Chi-hong used in the 8th inning with one out and bases loaded in a big chance? The manager explained directly: "He had symptoms of a sore throat." [Jamsil on-site]

*This content was translated by AI.

Kiwoom Heroes manager Seol Jong-jin (53) directly explained yesterday (the 23rd) why veteran Ahn Chi-hong (36) did not play in the crucial moment of the game.

On the 24th, Kiwoom announced its starting lineup ahead of its regular-season road game against LG, which will be held at Seoul Jamsil Baseball Stadium.

Today, Kiwoom set its batting order as Seo Geon-chang (second baseman), Ahn Chi-hong (designated hitter), Im Byung-wook (right fielder), Choi Joo-hwan (first baseman), Lee Hyung-jong (left fielder), Kim Woong-bin (third baseman), Park Soo-jong (center fielder), Park Sung-bin (catcher), and Kwon Hyuk-bin (shortstop). The starting pitcher was Park Jun-hyun.

Ahn Chi-hong, who was left out of the starting lineup the previous day, is making a notable return to the starting lineup. Ahn Chi-hong, who joined Kiwoom this year, is performing brilliantly with a batting average of 0.294 (52 hits in 177 at-bats), 4 home runs, 19 RBIs, 19 runs scored, an on-base percentage of 0.384, a slugging percentage of 0.412, and an OPS of 0.796 in 46 games.

However, he did not appear in the previous day's game even in a crucial situation, raising questions. In the top of the 8th inning, with Kiwoom trailing 2-4, they seized a great big chance to turn the game around. Choi Joo-hwan and Kim Woong-bin reached base with consecutive hits, and Park Ju-hong drew a walk, loading the bases.

In the batter's box stood Jeon Tae-hyun, a shortstop in his second professional year. Although he has been appearing as the starting shortstop recently due to his good defense, his batting average of 0.182 indicated he was not in good hitting form. At that moment, Ahn Chi-hong was on the bench but ultimately did not enter the game. In the end, Jeon Tae-hyun hit a ground ball to the pitcher, and Oh Seon-jin hit a ground ball to third base, ending Kiwoom's march toward a six-game winning streak.

There was a reason. Before the game, Kiwoom manager Seol Jong-jin stated, "Yesterday, Ahn Chi-hong had slight symptoms of a sore throat, so he was left out of the starting lineup. We were considering using him as a substitute, but he said he felt it would be difficult, so he rested for the entire day."

The recent upward trend of Kiwoom cannot be explained without acknowledging the performances of veterans including Ahn Chi-hong, Seo Geon-chang, Choi Joo-hwan, and Im Byung-wook. For this reason, Manager Seol is also working hard to manage the condition of the veterans.

Regarding the end of the winning streak, Manager Seol said, "I feel very regretful. However, I am not worried. Although the result was not good because we failed to capitalize on the late chances, the process was good." He added, "I feel grateful to the veterans. They are getting more opportunities than last year, and the players are responding well."

To secure a winning series, LG also brought out a lineup tailored for its hard-throwing pitchers. Kiwoom's starting pitcher Park Jun-hyun, despite being a high school rookie, has recorded 4 games, 1 win, 1 loss, an ERA of 2.29, 19⅔ innings, 13 walks, and 17 strikeouts, leading with a fastball clocked at a maximum speed of 159 km/h.

In response, LG constructed its batting order as Hong Chang-ki (right fielder), Park Hae-min (center fielder), Austin Dean (first baseman), Oh Ji-hwan (shortstop), Cheon Seong-ho (first baseman), Lee Young-bin (third baseman), Song Chan-ui (left fielder), Lee Ju-heon (catcher), and Shin Min-jae (second baseman). The starting pitcher was Song Seung-gi.

Regarding Park Jun-hyun, Manager Seol said, "He has been rotating well every six days without any major problems so far. Since we also need to manage his stamina, we are only using him on Sundays. In the future, we are also considering giving him a break for about one turn, similar to Alcantara or Bae Dong-hyun. If An Woo-jin comes in next week, we may pull him out depending on the situation."

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*This content was translated by AI.