The three consecutive games between the NC Dinos and the KIA Tigers during the week were no different from the “Kim Do-young series.” It was a three-game series that showed Kim Do-young’s unrivaled presence.고수익알바
Kim Do-young showed off his hot hitting sense by recording seven hits (two home runs) and five RBIs from 13 times at bat in three consecutive games during the week against the NC Dinos in the 2024 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League held at Gwangju-KIA Champions Field from the 23rd to the 25th. The team stopped its winning streak at “8” by losing 4-7 in the game on the 25th, but took comfort from Kim Do-young’s performance.
Kim’s bat became hot from the first game of the three consecutive games. Kim achieved hits, doubles, triples and homers in succession in the game against NC Dinosaurs on Sunday, making him the 31st cycling hit (hit for the cycle) in the KBO League history and a “natural cycling hit with the least number of hits.”
After preheating with hits and doubles in the previous two at-bats, he hit a long ball to left-center in the third at-bat in the bottom of the fifth inning and sprinted to the third base. His fast feet and sense of running back led to his fifth triple of the season. With only one homerun left, Kim shot a two-run shot to left against Bae Jae-hwan in the bottom of the sixth inning, making a cycling hit in three seasons after his debut as a pro.
Kim also did his part on the following day. He had one hit and one RBI from three times at bat to continue his hitting streak in six consecutive games, and displayed stellar defense twice to give strength to starting pitcher Cam Aldred.
In the last game of the three consecutive games, Kim also showed off his presence by making two hits and two RBIs in five times at bat, including one homer. When his team was being dragged 0-6, he drew a two-run arch over the left fence against NC`s foreign pitcher Kyle Hart with two outs and a runner on first base in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Kim, who hit his 26th homer on the day, will have only four homers and one stolen base to reach 30 homers and 30 steals. If there are no major variables, Kim will likely make another history considering the number of remaining games (47 games).
Looking back at the beginning of the season, the process was not smooth. Kim Do-young drew an upward curve with 10 home runs and 10 steals per month in April, but slowed down for a while in May. Compared to April, the number of hitless games increased, and Kim Do-young also had difficulty in managing her condition. In particular, he made many mistakes in defense and lowered his head. Both players and teams were aware of this, but the situation did not improve much over time.
However, Kim did not get frustrated and got back on his feet. He hit eight home runs in June alone, and is displaying robust hitting performance by posting 27 hits in 62 at-bats for 17 games in July with a batting average of 0.435 five home runs and 16 RBIs. Attacks are not just attacks, but he has also gained stability and boosted his confidence in defense, drawing attention.
KIA manager Lee Bum-ho said, ” (Kim) Do-young is making tremendous performance, but I don’t think he can be perfect in all aspects, including offense, defense, and base running, as he is in his third year as a professional,” adding, “I don’t want to pay much attention to the many defensive errors this season.”
“Do-young is focusing on the game while defending, and he has been showing a lot of good performances recently,” he said, expressing his belief, “Even if the number of errors this season is a little high, I’m sure the number will decrease further next year, and I’m sure it will decrease gradually (in the future).”
In particular, he is a head coach who understands Kim Do-young’s feelings as he is an “infield player.” “In the case of infielders, I think their defense appearance can be different depending on whether they score a hit in the game. When I saw the players after the game, they were satisfied that it was a day without errors. That’s how much the fielders are paying attention to playing without errors,” Lee said, encouraging Kim Do-young, “Our team made a lot of mistakes in the early days of the season, but it seems that the players are showing enough of their play as they settled down to some extent.”
What is important now is physical fitness management. Kim has gained some experience by playing 103 games in 2022 and 84 games last year, but this is the first time she has played a full-time season. Attention is focusing on whether Kim, who is constantly evolving, will be able to maintain her pace even in hot weather.