KT Wiz infielder Kim Sang-soo (33) has ‘momentum’ too.
The word “momentum” has been a hot topic among Lotte Giants fans lately. It’s a word that veteran relief pitcher Kim Sang-soo (35) used in an interview about the team’s rise and the fans’ enthusiastic support, and it has been widely used as a cheering phrase after Lotte’s (Lotte + Kim Sang-soo) strong pitching performance.
Not to be outdone by Lot, Kae Sang-soo (Katie + Kim) is also on a roll. She spearheaded the team’s offense and helped them win their first three consecutive series. 토토사이트
Kim Sang-soo moved to KT as a free agent before the season. He has filled the void left at shortstop by the departure of Shim Woo-jun (28), who joined the Merchant Marine. In 44 games, he is batting .291 (43-for-148) with 17 RBIs and a 0.716 OPS.
He’s also been a standout defensively. He’s made just four errors in 354⅔ innings, the most on the team. Among shortstops with more than 300 innings played in the entire league, he is tied with Noh Jin-hyuk (Lotte Giants, 4) for second in fewest errors after Russell (Kiwoom Heroes, 3).
In the nine games in which KT won its first three consecutive games of the season, Kim’s performance stood out. He led the team’s offense with a .333 batting average (10-for-30) and four RBIs. It was especially noteworthy that he batted in the No. 2 spot instead of his usual No. 9. He bridged the gap between leadoff hitter Kang Baek-ho and the center field lineup.
When it was time to take matters into his own hands, he did just that. In the top of the fifth inning of the 1-1 tie against the Daegu Samsung Lions on the 26th, Kang Baek-ho’s automatic high fly ball and a wild pitch put runners on second and third with Kim Sang-soo in scoring position.
Kim Sang-soo made the Samsung bench regret their decision to play him. After an eight-pitch battle with Yang Chang-seop, he took advantage of a four-seam fastball for an RBI single. After taking a 2-1 lead, KT added two more runs to win 4-1.
The next day, he completed a three-hit game in just his third at-bat. The ace-breaker came in the form of a climactic hit against opposing starter David Buchanan.
KT has yet to climb out of last place, but they’ve been rebounding a bit, closing the gap on the ninth-place Hanwha Eagles to just “half a game. And behind that momentum is the unsung hero Kim Sang-soo. Kim Sang-soo has been the lifeblood of the team in the offense.