I'm glad to feel like I've found my hitting pace again.
Professional baseball player Lewin Diaz of the Samsung Lions smiled brightly for the first time in a while.
Diaz was selected as the starting first baseman in the home game against the Hanwha Eagles on the 6th at Daegu Samsung Lions Park. Before this game, Diaz had a batting average of .196 (46 at-bats, 9 hits), 3 home runs, 7 RBIs, and 6 runs scored. His recent performance over the last five games had been even more serious. He struggled with a batting average of .150 (19 at-bats, 2 hits), 1 home run, 1 RBI, and 2 runs scored.
Diaz, who had fallen into an endless slump, set a new personal record for the most hits and RBIs in a single game since his KBO League debut. In the first inning with one out and the bases loaded, Diaz faced his first at-bat against Hanwha starter Eom Sang-baek and struck out swinging. There were no two failures. In the third inning, with one out and runners on second and third, Diaz hit a double to right field after a full count against Eom Sang-baek. All runners scored. With additional runs needed, he demonstrated his instinct as a clutch hitter.
Leading off in the sixth, Diaz reached base with a single to center field. This marked his third multi-hit game of the season. Diaz scored after consecutive hits from Kim Heon-gon and Ryu Ji-hyuk. Diaz added another single to center field in the seventh and then hit a two-run homer against Kwon Min-kyu in the eighth with two outs and a runner on second, contributing to Samsung's double-digit scoring.
Samsung defeated Hanwha 10-0, completing the winning series. Starting pitcher Denny Reyes earned his second win of the season, throwing 7 innings with 1 hit, 6 strikeouts, and no runs allowed. On offense, Diaz contributed with 4 hits, 4 RBIs, and 2 runs scored, including a home run, while Kang Min-ho (3 hits, 2 RBIs, 2 runs), Kim Sung-yoon (2 hits, 1 RBI, 2 runs), and Ryu Ji-hyuk (1 hit, 2 RBIs, 1 run) also performed impressively.
After the game, Diaz expressed his joy through the club's official YouTube channel, "Lions TV." He said, "I feel good. Achieving a winning series is always a pleasant thing. So I feel very good."
Above all, the recovery of his hitting form is the most welcome news. He said, "I'm glad to feel like I've found my hitting pace again. In fact, it was quite difficult because my hitting wasn't good. I did my best to regain my hitting timing. Whenever negative thoughts came to mind, I tried to get away from those negative thoughts. I think I have somewhat emerged from negative thoughts thanks to today's game."
The warm advice from national team catcher Kang Min-ho was a great help to Diaz. He noted, "He told me, 'You haven't played many games yet, and there are many days left to play baseball, so let's enjoy and be happy while playing baseball.'"
Meanwhile, Manager Park Jin-man said, "Starting pitcher Reyes literally showed the best pitching. Reyes still needs to manage his pitch count, and I originally planned to limit him to around 85 pitches today. However, since there was a significant record at stake and the player himself was motivated, I intended to keep pushing him as long as he maintained a perfect situation." He also praised, "In terms of offense, the timely hits from Diaz and Ryu Ji-hyuk were a great help."
[OSEN]