KIA’s complete batting lineup showed off its power from the first inning. If only ‘transfer student catcher’ Kim Tae-gun had a hit, it was the entire lineup.
KIA bombarded the NC mound as soon as the starting chime rang on the 26th against the Changwon NC. Against NC right-hander Song Myung-ki, they were well prepared. Choi Won-jun hit a fastball to center field and stole second base on a slider from Kim Do-young. Kim Do-young took a curveball to the body for a free run.
With the bases loaded, the center field lineup responded. Na Sung-beom lined a single over the left-field fence, and Choi Hyung-woo took advantage of a forked ball from Song Myung-ki for a three-run shot to left. Socrates Brito came out of the gate like a thunderbolt from a forkball and hit a right-field back-to-back solo shot.
Kim Sun-bin followed with a single to left-center on the first pitch, and after Ko Jong-wook grounded out, Kim advanced to second on a wild pitch. Park Chan-ho followed with a triple to right-center. In the first inning alone, they scored six runs on six hits and one wild pitch. It was so powerful that the first out came from the seventh spot in the batting order. It was as if they read Song Myung-ki’s pitching form and reacted accordingly.
KIA capitalized on the Warriors’ struggles in the seventh inning, scoring four runs, including a three-run blast by Go Jong-wook. He had two big innings on the day. The 9-2 triple-setter of Park Chan-ho, Choi Won-joon, and Kim Do-young, the cleanup trio of Na 토토 Sung-beom, Choi Hyung-woo, and Socrates Brito, and Kim Tae-gun in the sixth and seventh when Kim Sun-bin and Lee Woo-sung or Go Jong-wook came in. There’s nowhere for the pitchers to rest.
They already showed their power at the end of the first half. After faltering a bit at the start of the second half, they showed off their power for the first time in a long time today. Pitchers such as NC Song Myung-ki and Jeon Jae-min were shaky, but the KIA batters responded well. Kim Tae-gun hit two home runs, and Kim Do-young, who has quick feet, also hit one in the sixth inning. This may seem like a blowout, but it was anything but.
Yang Hyun-jong, the “big pitcher,” said at the All-Star fan signing that he was looking forward to the power of the KIA bats, and that if the bats were hitting in the second half, the pitchers would be able to do the same. On this day, the KIA pitchers pitched comfortably thanks to the hitters. There won’t be many games like this, but when they do, it definitely helps the mound. For KIA, it was a nice way to end their recent three-game losing streak.