PO goes 12-for-12, hitless in 3 games

The chasing NC Dinos are in desperate need of a resurgence from No. 4 hitter Jason Martin.

NC lost 0-3 in Game 3 of the best-of-five (PO) series of the 2023 Shinhan Bank Solar KBO Playoffs at NC Park in Changwon on April 2.

After taking the first and second games of the PO in enemy territory to advance to the Korean Series (KS), NC suffered its first loss of the fall and its momentum was halted.

NC had won six straight postseason (PS) games this year before losing Game 3. After winning the wild-card decider against the Doosan Bears earlier in the year, they also ended the semi-playoffs (best-of-5 POs) against the SSG Landers with three straight wins.

From Games 4-6 of the 2020 Korean Series to Game 2 of this year's PO, they won nine straight PS games, tying their longest winning streak ever.

NC's success was largely due to the strength of its batting lineup.

He pounded out 12 hits, including three home runs, in the wild-card decider and scored 18 runs in three semifinal games. He also demolished KT foreign ace William Cuevas in Game 1 of the POs.

However, he faltered in Games 2 and 3. In Game 2, he couldn't get on base after the fourth inning, and in Game 3, he struggled to hit KT starter Ko Young-pyo and was swept.

In the context of the overall decline in batting form, Martin's slump as the No. 4 hitter was particularly painful.

In a NC uniform this year, Martin had a decent regular season, batting .283 with 17 home runs and 90 RBIs and an OPS of 0.815.

Continuing to bat fourth in fall ball, Martin went hitless in the wild-card deciding game, but did his part in the semifinals. In three games, he batted .333 (12-for-4) with one home run and five RBIs for an OPS of 1.096.

In Game 3 of the semifinals, he hit a come-from-behind three-run shot with runners on first and second in the bottom of the second inning when NC was down 4-5. It was a home run that turned the tide once and for all.

However, his bat went cold after that. He went hitless in 12 at-bats in Games 1-3.

In the second game, which NC narrowly won 3-2, he hit a double with runners on first and second in the third inning. Two batters later in the eighth, Park Gun-woo doubled to center field, but Martin grounded out to second base to end the inning.

Looking ahead to the third game of the PO, NC manager Kang In-hwa said, "Martin's batting form needs to improve. What kind of performance he gives is the key," but there was silence.

After leading off the game with a single to right field in the second inning, he hit a grounder to second base with no outs in the fourth inning.

Even after KT starter Ko Young-pyo, who had been pitching well, was sent down, he couldn't get a hit. In the seventh inning, when he led off, he hit a well-hit ball against Son Dong-hyun, but it was blocked by KT second baseman Park Kyung-soo. In the top of the ninth inning, he struck out swinging.

With their batting cycle in a downward spiral, NC needed a big hit to change the mood. A big hit from the No. 4 spot in the order could revitalize the offense.

Martin's resurgence is imperative. If Martin's silence continues, NC could find themselves in a position where they have to worry about turning the series around. 스포츠토토맨