KIA won 8-4 at a home game against LG Twins held at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field on Sunday. This victory is the first time in six years that KIA has swept three consecutive games against LG in Gwangju. Despite the injuries sustained by its main players, Kia was able to win three consecutive games against LG, last year’s winner, thanks to all players uniting as one team to overcome the crisis.
In particular, there was a player who changed the mood in every game. Kim Do-young was the cleanup hitter on Tuesday local time, Seo Geon-chang who played dagger at his parents’ home on Sunday. And on Sunday local time, he was a fifth-year veteran right-handed batter who joined the first team.
As soon as he was registered in the first team ahead of Wednesday’s game, he started as a ninth-strictor. He came on behalf of Park, who injured his left knee when he hit the fence while trying to catch a foul ball in the game on the previous day. On the day, pitcher Kim Sa-yoon was also registered in the first team on behalf of Lee Eui-ri, who was absent from the first team due to a sprained elbow.
“I believe my new friends will do well because they are passionate,” KIA manager Lee Bum-ho said before the game, adding, “I heard that Jong-pyo and Sa-yoon are the best in the second division. I think there is no reason to put Hong Jong-pyo on the bench when he has the best condition and is in good condition.”
Hong showed off his high-sensitivity bat with 417 batting average (10 hits in 24 times at bat) and two RBIs and two steals in 10 games in the Futures League, and played a big role in his team’s victory as soon as he started the game as Lee had expected. He made two hits, one RBI and one run from three times at bat, elevating the mood among the lower-ranked batters.
At his first at bat, he hit a triple, which changed the mood to Kia. Kia started off poorly, giving up two runs on two hits and two errors in the top of the first inning, but failed to properly target its opponent team starter Lim Chan-kyu in the bottom of the first and second innings. The team changed its course in the third inning, when the team started with Han Jun-su at the eighth inning.
After Han Jun-su hit a double in the right field, No. 9 Hong Jong-pyo hit a change-up, Lim’s main weapon, to hit an RBI triple in the right field in an unfavorable count of 2S. He chased the ball 1-2, and instantly created a chance to tie the game with no outs and third base.
Immediately, Kim Do-young’s sacrifice fly made the game 2 to 2. Kia Tigers, which gained momentum, added two more runs to its second base, and made the game come from behind to make it 4-2. 파친코
Following Han Jun-su’s double in the bottom of the fourth inning, Hong had a big hit, leading to a chance with no outs and runners on the first and third base. Unfortunately, he failed to score additional points due to failed follow-up hits.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, he calmly succeeded in bunt. Kia, which failed to score an additional point at 4-2, signed a sacrifice bunt to Hong after leading Han Jun-su hit a left-handed hit. Hong rolled well toward the pitcher, and Han Jun-su safely arrived at the second base. Kim Do-young’s double to the left-handed side allowed the team to garner one more valuable run.
Hong Jong-pyo said after the game, “I’m so grateful to the coach for allowing me to play as soon as I came up to the first team,” adding, “I wanted to focus on defense first and do well, but I’m so happy that he followed the batting well.”
Hong Jong-pyo continued to thank Lee once again, saying, “The coach told me that I am a better player in the game than in practice, so don’t be discouraged and feel comfortable.”
The first at-bat was important, but he changed the flow of the game by hitting a triple in a disadvantageous count. “The runner was on second base, so I hit the ball with the idea of sending the runner to the right first and sending the runner to the third base, but the changeup hit the front and a good ball came out,” Hong Jong-pyo said with a smile.
It may be unfamiliar to play in a stadium with a large crowd, and he would have played under pressure, but Hong Jong-pyo was rather confident. Hong Jong-pyo said, “The defense was so confident that I just wanted to do the basics.” Even when he fell into the opening entry, he said, “I was sharpening the knife in the Futures League because I thought he would call me if I was preparing well in the second division without thinking it was a pity,” Hong Jong-pyo said. “I will focus on defense whenever I go out in the future and focus on hitting when I have a chance.”