A special news report on a pro team! Kiwoom, which hit more hits but also grounded into three double plays, self-destructed. An unprecedented 'special news report' → Will it have a psychological preparation effect?

*This content was translated by AI.

With a batting lineup suffering from a severe lack of decisiveness, Kiwoom Heroes fell into a four-game losing streak and conducted an unprecedented night special batting practice (special practice) on the field after the game ended on the 19th. It appears to be a fallout from failing to win three consecutive one-run games. In particular, against the Lotte Giants on the 19th, they hit three more hits but were defeated after grounding into three double plays.

On the 19th, in a home game against the Lotte Giants at Seoul Gocheok Sky Dome, Kiwoom hit eight hits but managed only one run, losing 1-2. As a result, Kiwoom, now stuck in a four-game losing streak, recorded a season record of 26 wins, 44 losses, and 1 tie (winning percentage 0.371), failing to close the gap (2.5 games) with the ninth-place SSG Landers. At the same time, Lotte, which defeated Kiwoom, moved up to eighth place.

On this day, Kiwoom self-destructed despite hitting more hits than Lotte, which managed only five hits. This was due to four double plays that cut off the momentum at critical moments: a double play by Kwon Hyuk-bin in the second inning, Keston Hiura in the third, and Yeo Dong-wook in the fourth. After a double play in the bottom of the fourth inning, with two outs and a runner on first, Choi Jae-hyun hit a one-run double to center field, sparking a comeback attempt, but it was not enough to turn the tide. This was Kiwoom's only RBI hit of the game. In the bottom of the ninth, with the score 1-2 and runners on first and third with two outs, Seo Geon-chang was retired on a fly ball to left field, leaving them with regret. In particular, this marked three consecutive one-run losses since the Daegu Samsung game on the 17th.

Ultimately, after the game ended, batting cages and pitching machines were set up again on the Gocheok Dome field. This was to conduct a rare night special batting practice on the professional stage.

After an incident on May 26, when Kiwoom attempted a special practice following the KIA Tigers game but was forced to turn off the lights by the Seoul Facilities Management Corporation, the club had reached an agreement that training would be possible if requested before the seventh inning. A club official stated, "As the batting slump continued, we formally requested night training from the Facilities Management Corporation after the end of the bottom of the sixth inning." This was the second remaining training session of the season, following the special practice against the KT Wiz on May 29 after resolving the conflict.

According to Kiwoom manager Seol Jong-jin (53), the purpose of the special practice is closer to refining the mental aspect than the technical one. By conducting an additional training session after the game ends, unlike usual, they are adopting a slightly different training routine.

The Kiwoom batting lineup, swinging bats for over 30 minutes amidst the bitterness of defeat, is expected to be closely watched to see if they can succeed in mental preparation through this 'special practice' and find a clue for a comeback.

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*This content was translated by AI.