▲ Kim Won-jung of the Lotte Giants leaves the mound during the bottom of the seventh inning of a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game against the SSG Landers at Incheon SSG Landers Field in Incheon, 40 kilometers west of Seoul, on May 26, 2022. (Yonhap)
▲ Members of the Kiwoom Heroes celebrate their 8-0 victory over the Lotte Giants in a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Sajik Stadium in Busan, 450 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on May 27, 2022. (Yonhap)
▲ Kevin Cron of the SSG Landers rounds third base after hitting a solo home run against the Kia Tigers during the top of the seventh inning of a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, 330 kilometers south of Seoul, on May 29, 2022. (Yonhap)
▲ Hwang Dae-in of the Kia Tigers (R) poses in a tiger mask after hitting a two-run home run against the SSG Landers during the bottom of the fifth inning of a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, 330 kilometers south of Seoul, on May 29, 2022. (Yonhap)

baseball-club

Lotte Giants fall back down to earth after scorching start to KBO season

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, May 30 (Yonhap) -- The darlings of South Korean baseball just a month ago, the Lotte Giants have done the equivalent of a face-plant in May.

The Giants, a team with perhaps the most passionate and the most aggrieved fan base in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), posted the second-best record in April, at 14-9-1 (wins-losses-ties). Their third baseman, Han Dong-hui, was voted the Player of the Month, after leading the KBO in batting average (.427), home runs (seven), on-base percentage (.485) and slugging percentage (.764). Things were looking all so rosy for a team that many pundits felt wouldn't make the postseason in 2022. Hope sprang eternal.

It has been quite a different story in May, though. The Giants did not win a game last week, suffering back-to-back series sweeps at the hands of the SSG Landers and the Kiwoom Heroes. Those two teams are currently first and second in the standings, and at least putting up a decent fight against them would have sent a message across the league that the Giants wouldn't be a pushover.

Instead, the Giants, trying to make the postseason for only the second time since 2013, are now mired in a season-worst six-game losing streak. In those six losses, the Giants have been outscored 36-11 and were shut out twice.

Through Sunday, the Giants were tied with last-place NC Dinos for the worst record in May at 8-17-0. The Giants have slid all the way down to seventh place at 22-26-1, now seven games out of the No. 2 spot that they had occupied as recently as May 6.

And after a monstrous April, Han came back down to earth in May, just as the rest of his team fell on hard times. He was only batting .221/.264/.309 with one home run and four RBIs in 17 games in May before being sidelined on May 22 with an injury to his side. That same day, team captain Jeon Jun-woo, batting a robust .320, was also deactivated with a calf injury.

There has been no secret to the Giants' demise this month. They have been the worst hitting team in May with a feeble .240/.299/.357 line. They have the second-worst ERA with 4.78, though they surprisingly lead the league with four shutouts in May.

The Giants will look to turn things around with a new month on the horizon. They will host the LG Twins for three games starting Tuesday and visit the Dinos for three more beginning Friday.

The Giants swept the Twins in their first meeting of the year from April 29 to May 1. They are 4-2 against the Dinos this season.

Elsewhere in the KBO this week, the Heroes, five games behind the Landers in second place, will try to keep their six-game winning streak alive. They will open with three games at home against the reeling Samsung Lions, losers of seven of the past 10, and then visit the ninth-place Hanwha Eagles.

The Landers will host the KT Wiz for the midweek series and then visit the Twins for the weekend.

The Kia Tigers, the hottest club this month with a 17-8-0 record, will face the Doosan Bears and then the Wiz.

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