Samsung Lions infielder Kim Young-woong is breaking through his batting slump with team batting.
Kim Young-woong produced a bunt hit in an away game against the LG Twins at Jamsil Stadium on the 30th. Batting in the 8th spot as a third baseman, Kim Young-woong was retired on a fly out to center field in the 3rd inning and struck out swinging in the 5th inning.
In the top of the 7th inning with the game tied 1-1, lead-off hitter Lee Jae-hyun drew a walk against LG starter Eliezer Hernandez and faced Lee Woo-chan, who came in as the second pitcher. Kim Young-woong, with a surprise bunt that caught the opponents off guard, stepped on first base. He had been struggling with a batting average of .200 (7 hits in 35 at-bats) and 3 RBIs over the last 10 games, but broke a streak of four games without a hit since the match against the KIA Tigers in Daegu on the 24th.
Kim Young-woong's surprise bunt changed the game's momentum. With the bases loaded and no outs created by a walk from pinch hitter Yang Do-geun, Kim Ji-chan hit a sacrifice fly to right field, giving Samsung a 2-1 lead.
Kim Young-woong contributed to the additional runs with smart play. In the 8th inning, leading 2-1, consecutive walks from Lewin Diaz and Kang Min-ho, along with Ryu Ji-hyuk's sacrifice bunt, created an opportunity with one out and runners on second and third. Lee Jae-hyun was retired on a fly out to second, resulting in two outs. Kim Young-woong continued the momentum by drawing a walk, followed shortly by Yang Do-geun hitting a two-RBI single to extend the lead to 4-1.
He also stood out defensively. In a tense situation in the 9th inning with a one-run lead and one out, he dove to catch a foul ball from Choi Won-young. Samsung defeated LG 4-3, extending their winning streak to five games since the match against the KIA Tigers in Daegu on the 24th.
Having contributed to the team's victory with a surprise bunt and smart play, Kim Young-woong noted through the club's official YouTube channel "Lions TV," "I simply attempted the bunt to keep up the winning team atmosphere, and it resulted in a good outcome." He added, "Thanks to the older players performing well in front of me, we are extending our winning streak, and I will work harder to contribute to the team's victory as well."
Last year, Kim Young-woong played in 126 games, posting a batting average of .252 (115 hits in 456 at-bats), 28 home runs, 79 RBIs, and 65 runs scored, marking his best season since his professional debut in 2022.
After suffering a contusion on his right rib during the second camp in Okinawa, he joined the first team in the latter part of the spring training. This season, he has a batting average of .243 (41 hits in 169 at-bats), 8 home runs, 26 RBIs, and 23 runs scored over 47 games. While the performance has been somewhat disappointing, he is making efforts to regain his batting form by training alone after games, indicating a strong possibility of improvement.
With his remarkable power-hitting ability, Kim Young-woong seems likely to frequently be seen launching big hits and confidently circling the field.
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