KIA Tigers' Park Chan-ho showcased the archetype of a leadoff hitter.

KIA won 5-4 against the SSG Landers in the second game of a doubleheader held at Incheon SSG Landers Field on the 10th. Starting as the first baseman, Park Chan-ho recorded 1 hit in 2 at-bats, 1 walk, 1 RBI, 2 runs scored, 3 stolen bases, 1 sacrifice hit, and 1 sacrifice fly, contributing to all 5 of the team's runs.

In the top of the first inning, Park Chan-ho hit Anderson's 154 km fastball for a double to left field. After one out, he successfully stole third base, creating a better chance. He scored on Kim Do-young's sacrifice fly to center field. Choi Hyung-woo also recorded an out on a fly ball to center field; ultimately, Park Chan-ho's speed created the first run.

In a tight pitching duel, KIA scored an additional run in the 6th inning. Once again, Park Chan-ho's speed shone. After one out, Park Chan-ho drew a walk. He successfully stole second base during Wisdom's at-bat. Subsequently, Anderson's pickoff throw to second base got away into the outfield, allowing him to advance to third.

Anderson, who allowed the steal of third base in the first inning, committed a throwing error while being cautious of Park Chan-ho's speed. Wisdom's sacrifice fly to right field allowed Park Chan-ho to easily score. In both the first and 6th innings, KIA succeeded in scoring without timely hits, thanks to Park Chan-ho's speed.

Tied 2-2, KIA had a leadoff walk from Han Jun-soo in the top of the 8th inning, followed by a fielding error by the second baseman on Park Jeong-woo's ground ball, resulting in runners on first and second with no outs. Park Chan-ho calmly connected with a sacrifice bunt, creating a chance with one out and runners on second and third.

Afterwards, Wisdom's automatic intentional walk led to a bases-loaded situation with one out, and a fielding error by the third baseman on Kim Do-young's ground ball put KIA ahead 3-2. In the continued bases-loaded situation, Choi Hyung-woo's sacrifice fly extended the lead to 4-2.

KIA faced a challenge in the bottom of the 8th as Jo Sang-woo allowed a solo home run to McBroom, making it 4-3. In the top of the 9th, KIA had a leadoff walk by Lee Woo-sung, a hit by Oh Sun-woo, a sacrifice bunt by Hong Jong-pyo, and a walk by Park Jeong-woo, creating a bases-loaded situation with one out.

Park Chan-ho added an RBI with a sacrifice fly to left field, increasing the score to 5-3. In the bottom of the 9th, closer Jung Hae-young allowed a solo home run to Choi Jeong, ending the game at 5-4.

Park Chan-ho set a personal record with 3 stolen bases in a single game. The previous record was 2 stolen bases in a single game.

After the game, Park Chan-ho said, "I was surprised; I have been the stolen base king twice, but I was surprised that there has not been a single game with 3 stolen bases. I thought it would definitely happen." Park Chan-ho won the stolen base title in 2019 and 2022.

Park Chan-ho said, "When the timing to run comes, I just went for it. I thought I could run actively since I could see it when analyzing the power, and I'm glad the result was good."

He recorded 3 stolen bases against SSG catcher Jo Hyung-woo, who has a good arm and throwing capability. Park Chan-ho mentioned, "I think of stealing not against the catcher but against the pitcher. If the pitcher loses his timing, the catcher has no choice. I concentrated a lot on disrupting the timing."

Actually, opinions are divided among KIA fans regarding Park Chan-ho's use as a leadoff hitter. His batting average and on-base percentage are low. Before the game, Park Chan-ho's batting average was .270, on-base percentage was .371, and OPS was .711, which is low for a leadoff hitter. He is compensating for those shortcomings with speed on the bases.

Park Chan-ho said, "I see the scoreboard, and here (SSG Landers Field) it displays OPS. Looking at the scoreboard, everyone has such great records; I wondered if I could be number one as well. It seems like the manager wants to keep me in the leadoff position today because he expects this kind of performance from me. I think that’s my role."

Manager Lee Beom-ho said after the game, "It was effective to efficiently score in situations where we needed runs. Especially, I praise Park Chan-ho for fulfilling his role as a leadoff hitter, and also praise Ollur for showing determination by completing 6 innings even with a high pitch count."

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