*This content was translated by AI.
Despite the loss, the protagonist who left a strong impression by hitting back-to-back home runs in the late innings is Adellin Rodriguez (35), the replacement foreign hitter newly signed by KIA Tigers.
On the 6th, KIA lost 2-7 to the Hanwha Eagles in a 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular-season home game held at Gwangju-KIA Champions Field.
With this loss, KIA failed to continue its winning momentum from the previous day. The midweek series record now stands at 1 win and 1 loss. KIA's overall record is 15 wins, 1 tie, and 17 losses, leaving them just two wins away from reaching a .500 winning percentage. The team currently holds sole 5th place in the league standings. The winner of the winning series will be decided on the 7th.
KIA struggled to find any openings against Hanwha's starter Ryu Hyun-jin's pitching. The only hitter to allow a run against Ryu Hyun-jin was Adellin.
Adellin stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the 6th inning with two outs and no runners on base. The count was 1-1. On the third pitch, he targeted Ryu Hyun-jin's outside high-changeup (131 km/h) and hit a solo home run over the left-center field fence. It was his second home run of the season. This marked the moment Adellin hit back-to-back home runs in consecutive games, following his performance against Hanwha on the 5th.
That was not the end. Adellin appeared as the leadoff hitter in the bottom of the 9th inning. With a 1-0 count, he targeted the second pitch, a low fastball (149 km/h), and hit a solo home run over the center field fence. It was his third home run of the season.
There have been only four instances in KBO League history where a player hit home runs in all three of their hits after their debut. Following Sanders (Haitai) in the 1999 season, Quinlan (Hyundai) in the 2000 season, Martinez (Samsung) in the 2001 season, and Lee Yul-ye (SSG) in the 2025 season, Adellin became the fifth person to achieve this feat. It is the second time in KIA club history.
He is a man of immense power. Adellin is the foreigner signed by KIA as a replacement for Harold Castro, who recently left the lineup due to a hamstring injury. On the 4th, KIA announced, "We have signed Adellin Rodriguez as a replacement foreign hitter for Castro. Adellin has signed a six-week contract with an annual salary of $50,000 (approximately 72 million won)."
Adellin, who arrived in Korea on the 2nd, started as the fifth hitter and first baseman in the Hanwha game on the 5th, hitting a home run in his debut at-bat. In the bottom of the 1st inning with two outs and runners on first and third, he faced Hanwha's starter Kang Geon-woo. With a 3-1 count, he targeted the fifth pitch, a slider (127 km/h) that tightly entered the outside zone, and hit a three-run home run over the center field fence. It was a powerful debut.
Before Adellin, there were 21 players in KBO League history who hit a home run in their very first at-bat. Adellin is now the 22nd player to achieve this record. Among foreign players, he is the sixth. Adellin set the second debut home run record in Tigers club history (the first was by Hwang Jung-rim on September 14, 2012, in the second game against Lotte DH at Mudeung). His debut game stats were 4 at-bats, 1 hit (1 home run), 3 RBIs, 2 runs scored, 1 walk, and 1 strikeout. In the game on the 6th, he recorded 4 at-bats, 2 hits (2 home runs), 2 RBIs, and 2 runs scored, finishing his first two games in the KBO League with three hits, all of which were home runs.
In an interview with reporters after joining KIA, Adellin said, "Actually, I did receive offers from Korea before. At that time, circumstances didn't allow me to come. This time, KIA offered me a contract at the right timing, and I am very grateful. I chose to come to Korea because I believe this opportunity will be a great chance for me to grow not only as a player but also as a person." This proves the reason why multiple KBO League clubs had targeted him in the past.
He also showed a positive mindset. Although a six-week contract might seem disappointing, Adellin stated, "If I had thought this was a disappointing contract, I would not have come to Korea at all. The KBO League offers limited opportunities for foreign players, so I am truly happy to have this six-week chance. My family will be coming to Korea soon, and I am very happy thinking that I will be able to experience Korean culture and lifestyle. There is still plenty of time after these six weeks. Nothing has happened yet. I believe that if I focus on every upcoming game and do my best, good results will follow."
The manager is also extremely satisfied. Lee Beom-ho, KIA's manager, said before the game on the 6th, "He is a player who takes baseball seriously. He doesn't seem to be careless. He has a smart feel and plays baseball with precision despite his size. He seems intelligent. He showed good patience even with low pitches. It seems his experience in Asian baseball is already showing. I believe he will continue to perform well in the future."
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*This content was translated by AI.
