Only the bullpen is bruised.

The KIA Tigers suffered another one-run loss. They fell to 0-1 against the Hanwha Eagles at Eagles Park in Daejeon on April 22. Hanwha and the Cards have been swept in all three meetings this year. After dominating last year with a 12-4 record, they have been swept this year.

The offense managed just two hits and five walks, but not a single runner reached base. Socrates was the antagonist. After hitting a bases-loaded single in the seventh inning the day before, he also squandered a chance with a bases-loaded single in the fourth inning. In the eighth inning, with runners on second and third, Park Chan-ho’s grounder to center field was late and he was thrown out at third base. It was a 1-0 loss.

It was the 12th one-run loss of the year. Tied with Samsung for the most one-run losses among the 10 teams. For the most part, the bats just weren’t coming off the bench. Baseball’s ability to overcome a one-run deficit is not working. Conversely, there were five one-run wins. One-run games are tough on the bullpen. This is because teams often use their best pitchers.

In fact, their innings-eating ability has dropped. This year, KIA’s starters have gone an average of five innings. On average, Yang Hyun-jong threw 5⅔ innings, Anderson 5⅓ innings, and Yoon Young-chul 5 innings. Lee went 4⅓ innings and Medina only 4⅔ innings. The bullpen has been carrying the brunt of the load as the starters have been unable to complete innings.

In the previous game against Hanwha on the 21st, Medina lasted just two innings before being pulled, leaving Kim Yoo-shin, Jang Hyun-sik, Kim Ki-hoon, and Yoon Jung-hyun to pitch the remaining six innings. Lee was removed from the mound after the fifth inning, and a series of relievers, including Choi Ji-min, Jeon Sang-hyun, Park Joon-pyo, and Lee Jun-young, took over. The two pitchers are struggling to digest innings. Medina is expected to be removed from the game.

Hwang Dong-ha will start in place of Yoon Young-cheol, who was rested for the 23rd game. If Hwang doesn’t last five innings, the bullpen will be called upon early. Last week, the starting pitchers were forced to use the bullpen before the fifth inning on three consecutive days. As the streak continued, the bullpen was called upon to pitch in games with two- and three-run deficits.토토사이트

The closer the game gets, the more often the bullpen is called upon. Here, 17 one-point games have been decided by a single point. For now, the bullpen has been solid with Lim Ki-young, Lee Jun-young, and Choi Ji-min. However, with less than half of the season under their belts, they will be under a lot of pressure in the second half. KIA’s midseason run has been close.