'4G 2 Runs' Disastrous Doosan Batting Lineup → Yang Seok-hwan at No. 7, Son Ah-seop at No. 6: "The team's batting is not working well... We wish the veterans could lend a hand" [Incheon Field Report]

*This content was translated by AI.

"The team's batting is not working well and we are on a losing streak, so I hope the veterans can step up and play their roles."

The Doosan Bears, who have fallen into a four-game losing streak, now face an uncertain situation where even holding onto fifth place cannot be guaranteed. The team's inability to score more than two runs in the four games played in September has been painfully evident. To turn the tide, the club has suddenly deployed a veteran duo.

On the 5th, Doosan will start Son Ah-seop (28) as the designated hitter batting sixth and Yang Seok-hwan (35) as the first baseman batting seventh in their visiting game against SSG Landers at Incheon SSG Landers Field for the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League.

Doosan has set its starting lineup with Park Chan-ho (shortstop), An Jae-seok (third baseman), Kim Min-seok (left fielder), Yang Ui-ji (catcher), Park Jun-soon (second baseman), Son Ah-seop (designated hitter), Yang Seok-hwan (first baseman), Jo Su-haeng (right fielder), and Jung Soobin (center fielder). The starting pitcher will be Choi Min-seok.

Son Ah-seop, who joined the team ahead of the season, and Yang Seok-hwan, who had been anchoring Doosan's core batting order, have both posted disappointing results so far. Son Ah-seop, formerly the all-time hits leader, has batted just .241 this season and was sent down to the minor league four times. Yang Seok-hwan is batting .200.

However, their recent form has been strong. Yang Seok-hwan hit .385 in his last 10 games in the Futures League (KBO minor league), regaining his hitting touch. Son Ah-seop recorded a .273 average.

Manager Kim Won-hyeong said, "The team's batting is not working well and we are on a losing streak, so I put them in the lineup hoping the veterans would step up and lend strength to the younger players."

The team's offensive slump has become severe. Manager Kim stated, "Recently, pitchers have been giving up four or five runs, but that is not the issue. We are not asking the batting lineup to score five or six runs; they just need to keep pace with the opposition, which they are failing to do, resulting in a feeling of being shut out easily." He added, "(Choi) Min-seok is playing the role of ace, so he should be able to maintain his usual pace, but I think the batters need to step up even more and strive harder."

Batting follows a cycle, yet no one has been leading the way. "We are all struggling to hit. That is the problem. We have faced good pitchers this week, as well as pitchers who were fully exploitable, but overall, only Min-seok has continued to hit at his own pace. Three or four players need to perform for the lineup to connect. The batting cycle is too low. Still, we should expect one of them to break out during a three-game series, but it is hard to explain." He expressed frustration.

SSG's starting pitcher today is the formidable rookie Kim Min-jun. Having established himself as SSG's ace, he has shown his status as Doosan's nemesis with two wins and no losses in two games against them this season, posting a 1.50 ERA. Manager Kim said, "Kim Min-jun appeared in two games and won both, pitching six innings each time. Although he is a young player, he pitches boldly on the mound and possesses good technique. His control is also decent." He continued, "To exploit him, batters must not miss pitches aimed at getting ahead in the count. Our batters are swinging too much at nothing and hitting many foul balls. We need to improve that to be able to attack him effectively."

They all hope for a simultaneous upward trend when they rise. Manager Kim said, "I believe it will happen. The important thing is that I am anxious, so the players must feel even more psychological pressure. Coaches need to manage this so they can show confidence; otherwise, they become passive at the plate. Regardless, the players have not been able to hit well throughout this week, so their confidence should not drop further. They must believe they can do it and act accordingly."

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*This content was translated by AI.