Hanwha Eagles captain Chae Eun-sung's power hitting finally emerged. Chae led the team to break its losing streak with a home run after 32 days.
On the 20th, Chae Eun-sung entered the game as the designated hitter in the fifth place against the NC Dinos of the regular season at Ulsan Munsoo Stadium, making 3 hits (1 home run), 1 RBI, and 2 runs in 4 at-bats, leading the team to a 4-1 victory.
From his first at-bat in the second inning, Chae Eun-sung gave the team its first run. Leading off in the second inning, Chae Eun-sung hit a solo home run on the fourth pitch of the at-bat against Mok Ji-hoon, who threw a fastball at 146 km/h. This marked his third home run of the season. It was his first home run in May, and he resumed the joy of hitting after 32 days since his second home run against NC on April 18.
After that, Chae Eun-sung created another opportunity even in the 4th inning with 2 outs and no baserunners, hitting a single to left field despite a double play by No Si-hwan that left no runners on base. No runs scored.
In the 6th inning, with 1 out and a runner on 1st base, Chae Eun-sung hit a double to left field, extending the opportunity to 1 out with runners on 2nd and 3rd. Following that, Lee Jin-young's timely hit and a wild pitch by the opposing team allowed Hanwha to add 3 more runs and secure the victory.
Chae Eun-sung's performance broke the trend of 1 win and 5 losses after a 12-game winning streak. He noted, "I was happy to break the bad atmosphere with today's victory. The manager and coaching staff led well, and the players just followed them."
He added, "It seems to come out when I try to send a good hit. It's always nice when a home run comes. What makes me happiest is that it helped the team win." He emphasized that achieving a cycling hit is less important than the team's victory, stating, "If I think too much, it won't happen, and if I become too conscious, it won't go well either. I just thought to hit at a good timing."
Chae Eun-sung overcame a tough period last week, saying he received advice mainly from senior players like (Ryu) Hyun-jin and (Lee) Jae-won, who have experienced various trials.
He brought the energy for today's victory himself. Before the game, he directly cheered with his teammates to boost morale. He shyly stated, "I felt like if I cheered today, good energy would come, so I volunteered to do it," and he said that this good energy led to his home run and the victory.
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