It has definitely improved. Kim Young-hoon and Lewin Diaz, who lead the starting lineup of the professional baseball team Samsung Lions and have been struggling with poor performance, have regained their hitting sense.
Kim Young-hoon, who hit 28 home runs last year, setting a personal single-season record, fell silent with four consecutive games without a hit from the match against LG on the 15th to the match against Lotte in Daegu on the 18th. On the 23rd in Daegu against KIA, in a situation where additional runs were needed, he unleashed a mighty hit. In the second inning, leading 1-0, he launched a two-run homer over the left-center field against KIA starter Kim Do-hyun. The distance was 115 meters. With a ball count of 2B-1S, he smacked the fourth pitch, a two-seam fastball, over the outfield wall. It was his fifth of the season. Samsung defeated KIA 7-2.
"I’m happy the team won, and I always step up to the plate with the mindset of doing my best and trying to achieve good results. Today, I thought about enjoying myself and taking it easy at the plate, and it seems that led to good results," Kim Young-hoon said.
On the 24th, Kim Young-hoon made his start as the fifth batter and third baseman against KIA. Manager Park Jin-man explained the reason for moving Kim Young-hoon from the seventh to the fifth spot, saying, "His batting balance is improving."
Kim Young-hoon's bat exploded properly. He delivered a one-man show with 3 hits in 4 at-bats, 3 RBIs, and 2 runs scored. All three hits were extra-base hits. He hit a double over the left-center field in his first at-bat in the first inning and knocked a triple that cleared the center fielder in the third inning. He also hit a double over the left-center field in the seventh inning. Samsung crushed KIA 17-5, achieving a second consecutive victory.
Kim Young-hoon, who regained his lost smile, expressed gratitude for the significant help he received from senior teammates Kim Sung-yoon and Kang Min-ho.
Kim Young-hoon said, "I worked hard to regain my hitting sense. I often talk with (Kim) Sung-yoon, and he has helped me a lot mentally. Sung-yoon said, 'Baseball is just a play ball, a game with a ball. Those who work hard can’t beat those who enjoy themselves.' I knew that, but it didn't resonate with me. I approached it with a lighter mindset than usual, and from that point on, good results started to come out."
He added, "A few days ago, I was training on a pitching machine alone, and senior (Kang) Min-ho said, 'Last year when I hit well, my weight was forward first, then came back once, but now it’s too loose.'"
Diaz also regained his lost smile. After struggling with his hitting for a while, he achieved multi-hits in three consecutive games since the match against Lotte in Daegu on the 20th. In the home game against KIA on the 24th, he showed his problem-solving instincts with 2 hits in 4 at-bats, 4 RBIs, and 2 runs scored, including a two-run homer in the first inning.
Diaz stated through the club's YouTube channel "Lions TV," "I feel very good right now. I am working hard to continue this feeling. I think the current results are thanks to this." He added, "(Kang) Min-ho and (Gu) Ja-wook, along with all the other players, told me, 'Don't worry, be happy,' which helped me smile again."
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