LG Twins’ batters showed a 180-degree different performance in one day. What happened.
LG won 8-2 in the last game of the three consecutive games during the week against the Samsung Lions in the “2024 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League” held at Samsung Lions Park in Daegu on the 25th.
First of all, starting pitcher Choi Won-tae laid the foundation for victory by banking on his stable pitching. He garnered two hits, three strikeouts, and two walks in six innings to achieve a quality start (less than three earned runs in six innings as a starter), tying up the Samsung batters. The batters also displayed strength. He defeated the opponent team’s willingness to pursue the team by scoring 16 hits and eight runs including three home runs.안전놀이터
A day earlier (against Samsung in Daegu on Monday), LG showcased its worst performance of the season, and suffered humiliating loss of 0-6. The batting lineup was blocked by Samsung’s mound and ended up with just one hit. If done wrong, the team could have suffered a no-hitter. However, the bitterness did not last long. The batting lineup rebounded in just one day and bombed the Samsung mound.
Oh Ji-hwan started as the seventh batter and shortstop in the final game of the three consecutive games during the week against the Samsung Lions at the “2024 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League” held at Samsung Lions Park in Daegu on Saturday. He hit the winning home run with his last ball of the season, spearheading his team’s victory. Expo News DB
Early in the game, LG’s batters soared. With two outs in the top of the second inning, Oh Ji-hwan hit a 120 meter solo shot (Season No. 1) that flew over the right fence to score the first point. The extra point was scored in the top of the third inning. With two outs, Park Hae-min hit a triple to secure the golden opportunity to score. Afterwards, Kim Hyun-soo hit a timely RBI single to make the team run 2-0.
The LG Twins’ lineup revived in the top of the seventh inning. And at the center of the lineup was Kim Hyun-soo. With runners on the second and third bases with one out, he hit a three-run homerun (the fourth of the season) that landed in the stand of the right outfield. The score was 5-0.
And in the top of the ninth inning, when his team was leading 5-2, Park Hae-min fired a cannon to seal the victory. He hit a two-seam fastball by relief pitcher Kim Dae-woo with one out and a runner on the first base, making it 7-2 with a driving distance of 115 meters (the first of the season) that flew over the right fence. Afterwards, LG loaded the bases with a KO punch 8-2, as pinch hitter Moon Sung-joo hit a sacrifice fly.
In the final game of the three consecutive games during weekdays against the Samsung Lions of the “2024 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League” held at Samsung Lions Park in Daegu on Saturday, Kim started as the third batter and left fielder. He boosted his offense by hitting a three-run homer in the top of the seventh inning. Expo News DB
LG Twins’ lineup showed off strong performance for the first time in a long time. Captain Kim Hyun-soo set a tie with five hits including a home run, which was his personal record of most hits in a game (against Masan Lotte Giants on Aug. 4, 2009). Hong had three hits, and Oh Ji-hwan and Park Hae-min hit their first home runs of this season, signaling his revival.
After the game, LG manager Yeom Kyung-yeop praised the batters for their hard-hitting performance. “In the at-bat, Oh Ji-hwan was able to bring about the flow of the game by hitting a wild home run, and (Kim) Hyun-soo and (Park) Hae-min were able to bring about the game without additional points,” he said.
What is the secret behind this sudden change in LG’s batting lineup? The common answer between Kim and Oh was confidence. The gist was that he shook off the sluggish atmosphere and hit the batter with confidence, resulting in good results.
LG defeated the Samsung Lions 8-2 in the final game of the three consecutive games during weekdays at the “2024 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League” held at Samsung Lions Park in Daegu on Saturday. The batting lineup attracted attention with 16 hits and eight scores. LG Twins
After the game, Kim said, “I only thought about winning today (on the 26th). (Choi) Wontae did well in the beginning, so the game seemed to go well. I think I got a lot of hits because I went to a good course. The runner was fast, and as it was a forward-throwing defense, I thought that if I hit a fly, I could tag up, and felt like I was hitting an outfield fly. As the game has not been going well these days, I think the players have lost confidence, so I said, “Let’s be aggressive,” and I tried to be confident as well. I really wanted to win today, and I wanted to go in a good mood on a bus from Daegu to Seoul.”
Oh Ji-hwan said, “I really wanted to do well, but I felt pressured because I couldn’t contribute to the team. I feel good because I think I brought a good victory today. I have to be a helpful player by going out on the basis of my four at-bats as a main player, but I felt pressured because I didn’t get a lot of help in that regard. I wish I could play more aggressively at the at-bats with today’s game as an opportunity. I have to enjoy and win, but as I keep losing, I have more and more things to think about. Today was not a good record except for the home run, but I still feel like today was the best. Thank you to the fans who joined me in the away game, and I will work harder and show you a good performance as much as you cheer for me.”
Last year, LG showed off strong offense capability that no one could stop once the team burns up and won the overall title. However, in the early days of this season, LG had more games to struggle with than expected, and thus gained momentum. Naturally, players were also affected and had no choice but to calm down. However, the day was different. Like last year, LG’s batters secured victory by creating an atmosphere to target any pitcher. LG’s batters fired signs of rebound by banking on their confidence.