Samsung, which defied expert predictions to finish second in the regular season of the 2024 Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) league, lost the Korean Series to Kia in five games amid a series of injuries to key players. “We had to face Kia with equal strength, but (the injuries) were force majeure,” said Samsung manager Park Jin-man.

Samsung advanced to the Korean Series for the first time in nine years after dominating the regular season, leading the team in home runs (185) and committing the fewest errors (81) in the league. But in the Korean Series against Kia, they realized the power difference. An injury to foreign starter Connor Seabold was a big factor. The ace, who was 11-6 with a 3.43 ERA, traveled to the United States with a right scapula injury and never returned to Korea. The bullpen was also weakened by the absence of Oh Seung-hwan, who slumped, and Choi Ji-kwang, who ended the season with an injury.

Samsung’s batting lineup also struggled to capitalize on its opportunities against Gwangju, as Koo Ja-rook went down with an injury. His absence weakened the batting lineup, as he was the best performer in Gwangju with a .381 batting average.

Park Jin-man’s inexperience in managing the game also left something to be desired.

In particular, he ordered Kim Young-woong to bunt instead of hit after the suspension in Game 1. 메이저사이트 Kim Young-woong missed a scoring opportunity by failing to bunt, and eventually wasted runners on first and second base with no outs in the top of the sixth inning. In the fourth inning, Song Eun-beom was sent to the mound after Won Tae-in was sent down early, but he gave up back-to-back singles. Manager Park Jin-man was unable to cope with the variables.

Samsung’s bats were dominant in the Korean Series, hitting nine home runs to lead the league in home runs in the regular season. However, they relied heavily on long balls and rarely put together consecutive hits to score runs.

Samsung was fortunate to have Won Tae-in and Kim Young-woong. Although an injury in Game 4 ended his series prematurely, Won Tae-in showed his ace presence with a strong Game 1 performance. Kim Young-woong established himself as the team’s big gun, becoming the youngest player to hit four home runs in a single postseason. Although the team fell short of the championship, Samsung showed the promise of its younger players, leaving a lot to look forward to next season.