*This content was translated by AI.
Lotte Giants' Na Seung-yeop (24) bowed his head even after hitting a home run.
After the KT Wiz game held at Suwon KT Wiz Park on the 6th, Na Seung-yeop met with reporters and said, "Honestly, I thought the fans wouldn't sing my cheer song, but when they did, I got choked up. I'm still so sorry. From now on, I'll just focus on winning every game."
Na Seung-yeop, along with Ko Seung-min (26) and others, visited an illegal gambling house during the Taiwan spring training in February and received a 30-game suspension from the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO). On his return day, the 5th, he appeared as a pinch hitter in the 7th inning against KT, recording 2 hits in 2 at-bats with 1 RBI. On this day, he started as the fourth hitter and first baseman.
Na Seung-yeop, who grounded out to the second baseman in the top of the 2nd inning and was retired on a double play with one out in the top of the 3rd with runners on first and third, hit a home run in the top of the 6th with one out and a runner on first. With a 1-0 count, he pulled Bojil's second pitch, a 117 mph low curveball inside, over the right-field fence. It was a massive arch with a distance of 130 meters. This was his first home run in two games since returning from suspension and his first in 235 days since September 13 last year against the SSG Landers.
Na Seung-yeop explained the home run situation, saying, "Honestly, I didn't think it would be a home run. I should have solved the situation in my previous at-bat (top of the 3rd), but I hit a double play. I thought my timing was late, so I tried to swing a bit faster in the top of the 6th, and the curveball happened to come in."
In the top of the 7th with no outs and a runner on second, the game was suspended for 23 minutes due to rainwater infiltration in the stadium. Immediately after resuming, he hit a two-run double off Joo Kwon. He finished the game with 5 at-bats, 2 hits, and 3 RBIs, leading the team to an 8-1 victory.
Lotte manager Kim Tae-hyung said before the game, "Those two (Na Seung-yeop and Ko Seung-min) need to play a central role in the team's lineup, and they have done so consistently," placing Na Seung-yeop at fourth and Ko Seung-min at second in the batting order. Ko Seung-min also contributed with 2 hits and 2 RBIs, including the go-ahead home run.
Lotte exploded with 16 hits in total, with seven batters — Jang Du-seong, Ko Seung-min, Reyes, Na Seung-yeop, Jeon Jun-woo, Yoon Dong-hee, and Jeon Min-jae — each recording 2 hits. After the win, Manager Kim expressed satisfaction, saying, "Overall, the lineup is finding its rhythm."
Na Seung-yeop said, "I found out I was batting fourth when I arrived at the stadium. I didn't expect it, but since the manager trusted me, I tried my best to create better results."
When asked how he felt watching Lotte games during the 30th games he was suspended, he replied, "It was a bit strange. The team wasn't on an upward trend, and all I could think about was hoping they would keep winning. That was all I could think of." He added, "Today was no different, and tomorrow I'll approach the game with the mindset of returning."
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*This content was translated by AI.
