“We’ll think more about selection against Taiwan”
The Hangzhou Asian Games (AG) team, led by head coach Ryu Jung-il, won 2-0 against Commerce Phoenix in an exhibition match at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Saturday to get their feet wet before the Games begin in earnest.
All players except Park Se-woong participated in the game. Park did not start the game, as he pitched in the bullpen against SSG Landers on April 22. Several players who were unable to make the national team’s starting lineup played for the Sangmu through an agreement with the team. In addition, they played one inning each on offense and defense in case of a “shootout.
The team’s starting lineup consisted of Kim Hye-sung (second baseman), Choi Ji-hoon (center fielder), Noh Shi-hwan (third baseman), Kang Baek-ho (designated hitter), Moon Bo-kyung (first baseman), Kim Hyung-joon (catcher), Park Sung-han (shortstop), Choi Won-joon (right fielder), and Kim Seong-yoon (left fielder), starting with Kwak Bin (third inning), followed by Won Tae-in (second inning), Jang Hyun-seok (first inning), Jung Woo-young (first inning), Go Woo-seok (first inning), and Park Young-hyun (first inning).
For the first through fourth batters, the lineup was Dong-hee (right fielder), Kim Joo-won (shortstop), Kim Ji-chan (second baseman), Kim Dong-heon (catcher), Cheon Sung-ho (first baseman), Na Seung-yup (designated hitter), Goo Bon-hyuk (third baseman), Byun Sang-kwon (left fielder), and Park Seung-gyu (right fielder), with Moon Dong-joo (third inning), Na Kyun-an (second inning), and Kim Young-gyu (first inning), and Choi Ji-min (first inning) on the mound in the game-winning situation.
With the exception of Kim Young-kyu, who made the national team in place of Koo Chang-mo (NC), who gave up a run, the pitching was flawless, especially Kwak Bin and Moon Dong-joo, who pitched three scoreless innings. Jang Hyun-seok, an international amateur signing with the LA Dodgers, also made a strong impression despite his short innings, throwing a fastball up to 154 km/h, and Choi Ji-min and Park Young-hyun, who were called upon to pitch in the game with the bases loaded, pitched cleanly.
“Today (26th), we had a practice game to check the players’ physical condition, and we checked the offense and defense together in various situations, both in-play and in the penalty shootout,” said Ryu. “The pitchers’ pitches looked good overall.”
However, there are still questions about the starting lineup for the game against Taiwan. Ryu plans to use the two starting pitchers who were in the regular season rotation for five to six innings in a one-one-one situation, but the decision was made a little more difficult after the pitchers all pitched solid, scoreless innings in the tournament. “We’ll have to think about the starters against Taiwan a bit more,” Ryu said.
While the mound was the star of the show on the day, it was Moon Bo-kyung at the plate. Moon went 1-for-2 with a walk and two RBIs, including a two-run double to left-center off Kim Young-kyu with runners in scoring position. “The overall condition of the batters was also good,” Ryu said, praising Moon Bo-kyung in particular.메이저사이트
The team will train for a final check on the 27th before departing for Hangzhou, China on the 28th via Incheon International Airport. The team will face Hong Kong on Oct. 1 at 6:30 p.m., followed by Chinese Taipei on Oct. 2. The team will conclude the group stage with matches against Thailand, Laos, and Singapore on Oct. 3, followed by the Super Round on Oct. 5 and 6 and the final on Oct. 7.