The NC Dinos and KT Wiz are in the playoffs (best-of-five), and a common concern for both teams is the lack of a No. 4 hitter.
In the short game, a single hit can change the course of a game in an instant, but both teams are struggling with the silence of their centerpiece batsmen.
NC has a foreign batsman, Jason Martin, batting at No. 4.
After warming up with a hit and a run in the wild-card deciding game against the Doosan Bears, Martin batted .333 (4-for-12) with one home run, five RBIs, four runs scored, and two doubles in three semifinal games against the SSG Landers. In the third game of the semifinals, he hit a come-from-behind three-run homer to win the game and was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the day.
Martin’s bat went cold in the playoffs. After going 0-for-4 in Game 1 and 0-for-4 in Game 2, Martin went 0-for-4 in Game 3. In total, he went 0-for-12. He didn’t draw a single walk and struck out twice. He didn’t look like a No. 4 hitter at all.
“It’s true that the graph of the entire batting lineup is going down a little bit,” said NC manager Kang In-hwa before the third game, “and the players who are going up must go up now. Martin should do it.” He specifically mentioned Martin. However, against Kang’s wishes, Martin did not perform in Game 3. 토토사이트
Down 0-3 in Game 3, NC went 15 consecutive innings without a run after scoring in the third inning of Game 2. With the bats showing signs of fatigue, the batting cycle is on a downward spiral. At times like this, you need a big hit to turn things around, and Martin’s prolonged slump has left him missing.