Shin Min-jae, an infielder who has transitioned from a pinch-hitter to a starting second baseman, is an integral part of the LG Twins’ fall baseball preparation. This time around, he’ll be batting second.

LG has been starting games with the Hong-Chang-Ki and Shin-Min-Jae tablesetter as of late. While leadoff man Hong Chang-ki remained unchanged, Shin Min-jae’s placement at No. 2 caught the eye. Even in the 14th game of the season against the Samsung Lions at Samsung Lions Park in Daegu on April 16, Shin batted second.

The intention is clear. Although the batting order is not fixed until the end of the regular season, the manager believes that Shin’s role as a table-setter fits the team’s direction and the short-term game. When asked about Shin’s placement in the No. 2 spot before the game against Samsung on Saturday, LG head coach Yoon Kyung-yeop said, “It’s a test. If we go to the postseason, it might be better to play Shin Min-jae at No. 2 than Moon Sung-joo because we have to win one or two points.” 메이저사이트

“Moon Sung-ju is not good at bunting, and Shin Min-jae is (relatively) good at it, so we’re doing it for the postseason,” Yeom said, adding, “In the postseason, there’s a huge difference between getting on base and not getting on base.”

In fact, the situation he was referring to occurred in the game. In the top of the fifth inning with the score tied 1-1, Moon Sung-joo bunted with one out, but the ball rolled faster than expected, causing pitcher Lee Seung-hyun to throw to second base instead of first.

Shortstop Kim Dong-jin’s throwing error resulted in a safe run, but if the fielder had caught the ball normally, first baseman Park Dong-won would have been forced out at second. It was a heartbreaking moment for LG, who had to reliably get the first baseman to second base to have a chance to score.

Of course, LG didn’t end up scoring in the top of the fifth inning. However, as the team looks ahead to the postseason, they are still working on exploiting their opponents’ weaknesses. Even as it solidifies its dominance, LG is still a work in progress. The team knows it won’t be easy to return to the top after 29 years, so they’re trying, trying, trying.