"Kim Jae-hwan Will Be Better" Head Coach Ham Park Miso, SSG's choice was right [the scene of Incheon]

*This content was translated by AI.

Kim Jae-hwan (38, SSG Landers) finally burst. After no hits in 10 at-bats, it was a three-run cannon that gave the team victory.

Kim Jae-hwan started as the fourth designated hitter in the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League home game against the Kiwoom Heroes at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 31st and hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning by pushing Yoon Seok-won's 140km/h outside fastball with one out and runners on the first and second bases.

After that, SSG, which scored two more points, won 9-3 and tied for the lead with three consecutive wins.

The veteran slugger, who hit 276 home runs in his career, came to the market after the end of last season. He wore the uniform of Landers, once a bitter rival. It was up to 2.2 billion won for two years. It was not about money. The idea was to make a career turning point.

It was not without risks for SSG as well. This is because he was a batter on a downward path, and there were resources in the outfield that drew steep growth as well as Han Yu-seom. It is also the part that head coach Lee Soo-yong expressed the most concern even after recruiting Kim Jae-hwan.

It didn't start well. After the opening, he was hitless in eight at-bats with five strikeouts. On the same day, he bowed his head with an infield grounder in the previous two at-bats.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, his third at-bat, he hit a huge sacrifice fly to the left to tie the game and then caused an accident in the bottom of the seventh inning. Kim Jae-hwan hit a three-run home run by pushing Yoon Seok-won's fastball outside 140 kilometers per hour. The gap was widened to 7-2 at once, and the panicked Kiwoom players were able to take the victory by exaggerating errors and walks.

The performance of the central batters, including No. 4 hitter Kim Jae-hwan, shone. No. 2 Guillermo Herredia scored two hits, one RBI and three runs, No. 3 Choi Jung scored two runs with two hits and one walk, and No. 5 Ko Myung-jun had three hits.

Starter Anthony Beniziano also made a successful KBO League debut with six hits, one walk, three strikeouts and two runs in five ⅓ innings. Unfortunately, he couldn't take the victory, but he did his part and laid the groundwork for the team's victory.

Coach Lee Sung-yong, who aimed to "strengthen the batting line" after the end of last season, could not hide his satisfaction. After the game, head coach Lee said, "The players' high concentration in the public order became the foundation for the come-from-behind victory," adding, "Heredia's good defense in the third inning and a home run in the fourth inning made a score to chase, and Kim Jae-hwan's net shot was effective. Jae-hwan will continue to get better in the future," he said with a thumbs-up.

As for Veniziano, he said, "I didn't win, but I got off to a good start. "(I) Ro-woon, who came out, also stopped the crisis well, and (Kim) Min also showed good pitching and solidified the must-win group," he said.

Finally, he also thanked 11,388 fans who visited the stadium even on weekdays. "Thank you to the fans for your support, and we will prepare to continue the good flow in the rest of the series," he promised.

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*This content was translated by AI.