“It was even more special because I had never imagined it.”
Lotte Giants infielder Son Ho-young started as the fifth batter and third baseman in the second game of a three-game weekend series against the LG Twins in the “2024 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League” held at Munsu Baseball Stadium in Ulsan on Sunday. He had two hits (two homers) from four times at bat on the day, contributing to his 8-3 victory.
Son Ho-young’s bat started to burn from the beginning of the game. At the bottom of the first inning, he targeted Choi Won-tae, the starting pitcher of the LG Twins, with runners on the first and second bases with two outs, and hit a three-run home run with a flying distance of 120 meters (10th of the season) to make it 3-0.
Son Ho-young shone again at the last batter’s box. He hit a solo home run off LG relief pitcher Lim Joon-hyung in the left-field stands after one out in the bottom of the eighth inning when Lotte took a 4-3 lead. The team widened the gap to 5-3 and secured a valuable 8-3 victory.
Lotte manager Kim Tae-hyung gave a thumbs-up after the game, saying, “In the batting line, Son Ho-young performed well with four RBIs, including multiple home runs, so he was able to win the game.”
Son Ho-young, who was considered one of the most valuable players, expressed his feelings about his first double-digit home run and multi-homer game after the game. “I thought so after the game. I was also a person who could hit double-digit home runs and multi-homer games. It was even more special because I had never imagined it before.” 토토사이트
“I tried to concentrate more (after the homer in the bottom of the first inning). I still have a lot of games to play, so I tried not to reveal my feelings and concentrate until the end. I knew about the double-digit homer, but I shouldn’t have revealed that I was happy because it wasn’t over. I was happy when the homer came out because I needed to score one more point (after the homer in the bottom of the eighth inning). I was glad that I hit multiple homeruns.”
Son Ho-young, a “trading lucky star,” has been a huge contributor to Lotte’s infield team this year. Son has posted a batting average of 0.318 (68 hits in 214 times at bat) in 58 games with 11 homers, 48 RBIs, and six steals (OPS). He has maintained his pace especially in the summer when players are getting tired. He has had nine hits (five long hits), three homers and nine RBIs in the recent five games.
Son Ho-young said, “Before, I had a strong intention to aim for the ball. I used to aim for it after returning to Incheon, but since the away game (April 30-1), I have practiced a lot with the coaches with the mindset of ‘When did I start to aim for the ball? Let’s check the ball out and give it to them’. That’s why my balance has improved,” Son said. “I have to endure the heat (the heat). What a great opportunity, and it’s not the right time to do that just because it’s hot.”
Son Ho-young frequently left the office due to a hamstring injury even during good performances this year. As he can display the best performance on the ground only when he is healthy, he is paying close attention to managing his hamstring. “I’m going to drink a lot of water. Where did I learn that my muscles should not be dry? I’m not supposed to stretch too much, so I’m doing it in moderation,” Son said.
Finally, Son Ho-young said, “Today (Thursday) is the happiest day for me personally. I am so grateful to the coach who allows me to play every day. I could lose weight if it’s a little bad, but he trusted me until the end,” adding, “I think the number of games (for motivation and growth) is the most important thing. I didn’t do well today, but if I do well tomorrow, I will forget about my previous work. So I am grateful to the coach who gave me a steady chance.”
