Roh Si-hwan (25), the cleanup hitter for the Hanwha Eagles, tasted home run success after 23 days. His performance, which alleviated his mental stress during that time, led Hanwha to reclaim second place.
On the 25th, Roh Si-hwan started as the cleanup hitter and third baseman in the home game against the Lotte Giants at Hanwha Life Eagles Park, contributing to Hanwha's 8-7 walk-off victory in the 10th inning with his performance, including a three-run home run, his 11th of the season, with 2 hits in 4 at-bats, 4 RBIs, and 1 walk.
With this victory, Hanwha finished the weekend three-game series against Lotte with 2 wins and 1 loss, marking a record of 31 wins and 21 losses (winning percentage .596), pushing Lotte (30 wins, 21 losses, 3 ties, winning percentage .588) back to third place and returning to second place in just one day.
Roh Si-hwan led the offense from the early stages of the game. With a 1-0 lead, he exploded for a three-run home run in the first inning with no outs and runners on first and second. He hit a slider from Lotte's side-arm starter Han Hyun-hee, which came in high and outside at 127 km/h, over the right field fence. The distance was 125 meters, marking his 11th home run of the season and the first home run he has hit by pulling the ball to the right this season. After 23 days and 19 games since his last home run on the 2nd against KIA in Gwangju, which was a game-winning solo shot in the 11th inning, he finally relieved his thirst for a home run.
In the second inning, with two outs and runners on first and second, he pulled Han Hyun-hee's first pitch slider down and added 1 RBI with a single to left field. In just two at-bats, he had 2 hits and 4 RBIs. In the ninth inning, with one out and runners on first and third, the opposing pitcher Jeong Cheol-won avoided facing Roh Si-hwan after a ball on the first pitch and issued an automatic intentional walk. Despite his recent hitting slump, Roh Si-hwan's presence was that burdensome to the opponent.
After the game, Roh Si-hwan noted, "It’s encouraging that I hit a home run after struggling with my batting. I tried to swing lightly without hitting ground balls, and that led to the home run. I will work to raise my pace again to achieve many victories."
In 32 games from March to April, he had a batting average of .269 (32 hits in 119 at-bats), 9 home runs, 23 RBIs, and an OPS of .901, but in May, his batting average dropped significantly to .231 (18 hits in 78 at-bats) with 2 home runs and 12 RBIs, and an OPS of .659 over 20 games. Since Roh Si-hwan has not been able to step up in the fourth batting order, Hanwha's offense has also stagnated over the past two weeks.
Despite the batting slump, Roh Si-hwan continued to start at third base without missing games. He only appeared as a designated hitter in the game against NC on the 21st, having started as the third baseman in 51 of 52 games this year, contributing defensively, and his performance that day signaled a batting rebound.
Roh Si-hwan said, "I am trying to fix the bad points during practice since my hitting has not been good. Once I get my hitting back, I am confident that I can rise again. I’ve been okay with my own baseball, but it has been difficult not being able to help the team. I am determined to do my best starting next week, using today as a turning point."
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