'Wait, the pitching coach is being replaced again!' Lotte takes drastic action! Chances of making the playoffs drop further from 2.9% to 1.7%

*This content was translated by AI.

The hope of Lotte Giants for the 'playoffs' is on the verge of vanishing like a mirage. Despite taking drastic measures to change the pitching coach again after just a week to turn the tide, the cold mound and declining defensive and offensive focus have caused the team's chances of reaching the postseason (PS) to plummet even further.

On the 14th, Lotte suffered a painful comeback loss, 1-6, against LG Twins in the final game of a three-game weekend series held at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Songpa-gu, Seoul. After securing a decisive 16-5 victory in the first game to build momentum, Lotte lost the next two games consecutively, recording a losing series and widening the win-loss margin to -15. Due to a slump of seven consecutive losing series, Lotte fell to the bottom of the league (10th place), trailing behind Kiwoom Heroes, who defeated Hanwha Eagles that day.

According to 'psodds.com', a site that calculates and publishes the probability of KBO League teams reaching the postseason based on Pythagorean win percentage and remaining games, Lotte's chances of making the playoffs this season dropped to 1.7% after the game on the 14th. Although the team attempted a rebound by making personnel changes in the coaching staff, the numbers show that reaching the playoffs has essentially become impossible.

Earlier, after falling into a four-game losing streak on the 8th, Lotte, on the previous Monday when there was no game, removed pitching coach Kim Hyun-wook from the first-division roster and recalled pitching coach Kim Sang-jin, taking the drastic measure of reassigning the coaching position. As of the 8th, the probability of reaching the postseason was 2.9%. This is an even steeper decline.

Replacing the pitching coach did lead to some recovery. The weekly record improved slightly from 1 win and 5 losses (winning percentage 0.167) to 2 wins and 4 losses (winning percentage 0.333). The team put all its efforts into stabilizing the mound, with the pitching staff's weekly ERA dropping slightly from 6.04 to 5.88, but the win-loss margin worsened further, causing the team's morale to sink even lower.

However, Lotte still has a glimmer of hope. The imminent return of infielder Han Dong-hee and outfielder Yoon Dong-hee, who have been sidelined due to injuries, is a key factor.

Both players are currently adjusting their game readiness by participating in Futures League games. Han Dong-hee recorded 1 hit in 7 at-bats in games against the Military Baseball Team on the 13th and 14th.

More encouraging than the statistics is the fact that they played without pain. Yoon Dong-hee also recorded a hit in the game against the Military Baseball Team on the 14th. After playing through the game against the Military Baseball Team on the 15th, it is expected that the decision on whether to recall the two players to the first division will be finalized.

However, Yoon Dong-hee's condition is not yet 100%. Manager Kim Tae-hyung stated, "(Yoon) Dong-hee reportedly still has some pain. He is not participating in defense and is only taking his turn at bat. We will monitor his condition," showing a cautious stance.

The contradictory reality of Lotte, whose playoff probability plummeted to 1.7% even after taking drastic measures to change the pitching coach again after just a week, is undeniably cold and cruel. After seven consecutive losing series and falling to the bottom of the league, it remains to be seen whether Kim Tae-hyung's team, led by the 'Dong-hee duo' who are coordinating their return, can fire the first shot of a miraculous rebound.

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*This content was translated by AI.