KIA was right! Dale, who blew 'billion won' during the adaptation period, has been hitting 12G in a row since his debut → longest 'Lotte Ision' for foreigners, and 'Jeong Jo-joon' for 16G in a row

*This content was translated by AI.

The KIA Tigers' choice was not wrong. As if laughing at the worrying gaze that had been poured out over the adaptation period through practice games and exhibition games ahead of the opening of the regular league, Australian-born Asian quarter league hitter and infielder Jarryd Dale (26) began to engrave his name in KBO league history.

Dale hit a clean right-handed hit against Hanwha's new foreign pitcher Jack Cushing in the top of the first inning in an away game against the Hanwha Eagles of the "2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League" at Hanwha Life Eagles Park in Daejeon on the 12th. Dale, who had two hits, one RBI, one run and one stolen base in four at-bats, including his first at-bat hit on the day, helped KIA to its fourth consecutive win.

As a result, Dale increased his hit streak in consecutive games from the SSG Landers away game on March 29 to "12 games." This is the second place in the longest streak of hits in consecutive games since the debut of a foreign hitter in the KBO League. It matched the hitting streak of Lotte Giants outfielder Roberto Perez in the 2003 season and LG Twins infielder Luis Jimenez in the 2015 season.

What's more encouraging about Dale's move is that he completely silenced the so-called "oppression" that poured into him even before the season opened. During the practice and exhibition games, some wondered whether the Asian quarter was chosen as a batter rather than a pitcher as they struggled with fast tempo with Korean baseball's unique handouts, pitch clocks, and ABS (automatic pitching judgment system).

But when the main stage began, Dale was completely different. He is playing a role as a "new engine" for KIA's batting lineup with his sophisticated hitting ability and fast feet shown in the 2026 WBC (World Baseball Classic) Australian national team. Currently, he is playing the role of the first batter who opens the door for offense with a batting average of 0.348 (16 hits in 46 times at bat) and an on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) of 0.839 (on-base plus slugging percentage)

Now, baseball fans are paying attention to whether Dale will be able to break the record of the longest consecutive hit in a game since his debut as a foreign hitter. The longest record since debuting as a foreign hitter in KBO league history is an outfielder named Lee Si-on who played for the Lotte Giants in the 2003 season. His registered name is Ision, but he is from the Dominican Republic and his real name is Mario Encarnacion. Yi was found dead in Taiwan in October 2005 at the age of 30. He was recruited as an alternative foreign player by Lotte in May 2003, and continued his hit streak of 16 consecutive games from the match against Hanwha on May 27 of that year to the match against the Doosan Bears on June 14.

There are only five games left before Dale breaks a new record. Some analysts say that if the current high-sensitivity is the same, there is a good possibility that a new history will be written in the series this weekend. KIA manager Lee Bum-ho (45) said of Dale, "He is a very grateful player. It is impressive that he holds the bat really short and tries to go out somehow (for on base) and hits. Looking at the worries, the concentration on the game is very high. The more you adapt to the league, the better you will be able to show your baseball of color."

Dale is proving every game that 'KIA's choice was right'. Attention is focusing on whether he will be able to break the unbeatable record set by Lee Si-on 23 years ago and decorate a page in the history of batters outside the KBO League.

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*This content was translated by AI.