“This must be the power of home runs”
KT trailed LG 1-4 until the 7th inning at Jamsil Stadium on the 28th, and tied it 4-4 in the top of the 8th inning when Oh Yoon-seok’s solo home run to the left and Hwang Jae-kyun’s two-run shot to the left, and won 8-4 after a close game in the 10th inning of extra time, showing a fierce background.
What changed the course of the game was two home runs in the eighth inning. “This must be the power of home runs,” KT manager Lee Kang-chul said while watching the game, adding that he completely turned the game around with two home runs.
KT met LG again on Tuesday at Jamsil Stadium. The team struggled again, falling behind 3-5 until the seventh inning. However, the game was not over yet. As soon as the game started in the top of the eighth inning, Oh Jae-il, a “veteran slugger,” was substituted. Oh hit Ham Deok-ju’s fastball of 137 kilometers per hour to hit a solo homer.
Oh Jae-il’s shot served as the starting point for a come-from-behind victory. KT had a chance to garner a bases-loaded walk with one out thanks to Kang Baek-ho, Kim Min-hyuk’s walk, and Shim Woo-joon’s hits to the right, and succeeded in turning the game around 7-5 as Mel Rojas Jr. hit a sweeping double to the right-center field. In addition, Oh Yoon-seok’s timely hit to center field was added to widen the gap to 8-5. LG tried its best to block KT’s score by rushing closer Yoo Young-chan to the mound, but could not stop KT’s bat, which already gained momentum. KT also had a crisis in the bottom of the ninth inning, but eventually won 8-7 to secure its sole fifth place. It also secured a bridgehead to advance to the top ranks by trailing fourth-ranked Doosan for two games.
After the game, manager Lee Kang-chul said, “Son Dong-hyun, who took the mound in a crisis in the bottom of the fifth inning, blocked the opponent team’s extra point, which allowed him to continue the close race. Kim Min-soo, Woo Kyu-min, and Kim Min, who took the mound, pitched well without allowing any runs. Park Young-hyun also maintained the lead until the end despite tough circumstances,” referring first to the pitching staff’s performance. 메이저놀이터
Manager Lee Kang-chul said, “In the batting line, Oh Jae-il’s home run in the top of the eighth inning changed the flow and Rojas hit a sweeping double to bring the mood. Oh Yoon-seok’s additional timely hit helped solidify the spirit of victory. All the players worked hard, and I am grateful to the fans who supported me until the end.”
Like deja vu, a home run played a decisive role in changing the flow of the game again. This is why head coach Lee Kang-chul couldn’t help but mention Oh Jae-il’s home run.
KT had a one-on-one face-to-face trade with Samsung in May. KT acquired Oh Jae-il after giving up Park Byung-ho. Oh Jae-il had only three homers before joining KT, but he has already hit 11 homers this season. Although his heyday has passed, the veteran slugger who has left 215 homers in his career remains strong.
KT, which had been struggling with everything until early this year, is getting closer to the postseason stage. A short-term game like the postseason can be said to be a stage where the power of a home run doubles. If KT makes it to the postseason this year, it will be worth paying attention to Oh Jae-il’s “one shot.” Oh Jae-il has nine homers in total at the fall festival alone.
