Gwangju: On a Lotte Giants team featuring regulars still in their early 20s, Go Seung-min, with five Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) seasons under his belt at 25, qualifies as a young veteran. In the absence of older players in everyday lineups, either due to injuries or to poor performances, Go has tried to be the sage, as the Giants try to push their way back into postseason contention.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Go did most of his leading with his action on the field Thursday, when he delivered four hits and two RBIs in a 4-3 win over the Kia Tigers at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, 270 kilometers south of Seoul. The win snapped the Giants' five-game losing streak and moved them within a game of the Samsung Lions for the fifth and final KBO postseason spot.
The Giants have the fewest games left in the league with 11, and the two teams directly above them, the Lions and the KT Wiz, each have two games in hand on the Giants. The Giants have put themselves in this mess after going a league-worst 7-16-3 (wins-losses-ties) in August. Every game is the biggest one of the season for them until the next one, though Go said he is trying to take it one game at a time.
"If we do our best every game and not worry so much about where we are in the standings, then I think we will end up where we want to be," Go said.
One of the major reasons for the Giants' recent downfall has been inconsistent plays from youngsters like Han Tae-yang, 21, and Na Seung-yeup, 23. Those infielders have had some adventurous moments playing defense lately, and manager Kim Tae-hyoung has blamed them on nerves. Go said he and some older teammates have been trying to encourage those youngsters.
"We keep reminding them they should just relax out there," Go said. "I do think they are feeling the pressure of the pennant race. But we've been telling them they shouldn't be afraid of making mistakes."
The Giants arrived in Gwangju after losing to the Hanwha Eagles 13-0 at home in the southeastern city of Busan the previous night. The Giants committed five errors, with at least one each by all four starting infielders, and manager Kim ordered extra fielding sessions after the game.
"I think we all learned our lessons," Go said. "I believe every one of us came here with extra motivation."
With Go swinging the hot bat at the plate, reliever Choi Jun-yong was an unsung hero out of the bullpen, striking out three of the five batters he faced after starter Na Gyun-an lasted just four innings. For the final out of the seventh inning, Choi got dangerous pinch hitter Patrick Wisdom to whiff on a 3-2 curveball.
"I try to be a reliever who can take the mound in any situation," Choi said after his second straight scoreless outing. "The battle for the postseason is getting more intense by the day, but the important thing is to focus on the game at hand. Hopefully, we will be able to build some positive momentum from this win."