'What is this with Park Hae-min?' Out-out-out in front of the fence! Koo Ja-wook and Diaz stood stunned. "It was even more awkward because it was my former team." [Jamsil on-site]

*This content was translated by AI.

LG Twins center fielder Park Hae-min (36) left Samsung's powerful batters in disbelief with his inspired defense.

On the 13th, LG defeated Samsung 5-3 in a regular-season home game at Seoul Jamsil Baseball Stadium in the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League. With this win, LG, which had its three-game losing streak halted, moved back into second place with a record of 23 wins and 15 losses, surpassing Samsung (22 wins, 1 draw, 15 losses), whose eight-game winning streak came to an end.

This victory was unthinkable without Park Hae-min's performance. From the top of the 1st inning, Park Hae-min stunned Samsung's lineup with jaw-dropping defensive plays. In the top of the 1st with one out and a runner on first, he leaped to catch a massive hit by Choi Hyung-woo and Diaz that was heading toward the far end of the center-field fence.

The highlight came in the top of the 7th with LG leading 4-3 and two outs with a runner on third. At that moment, LG faced a crisis as reliever Woo Kang-hoon, who had entered the game with a 4-1 lead, gave up two consecutive hit-by-pitches. Kang Min-ho's RBI double down the left-field line and Kim Ji-chan's ground ball added another run, bringing Samsung within one point at 3-4, and Koo Ja-wook stepped up to the plate.

Koo Ja-wook smashed a high pitch from Bae Jae-jun toward the far end of the center-field fence. However, Park Hae-min chased it down and made a leaping catch, preserving LG's one-run lead. Koo Ja-wook's expression, stunned and unable to leave the field for a while, was the highlight of the moment.

After the game, when asked by reporters about the best moment of the game, Park Hae-min pointed to the top of the 7th. "At first, I thought Diaz's hit was the most thrilling, but Koo Ja-wook's hit was there too. I feel sorry for Ja-wook, but I made the catch in a crucial moment, and I wasn't sure about Ja-wook's hit. With Diaz's hit, I was confident I could catch it, but Ja-wook's hit looked a bit high even with the jump," he recalled.

He continued, "I jumped in a half-doubtful situation, and when the ball landed on the edge of my glove, I felt really good. Ja-wook kept staring at me until I came in. Even when we switched sides, he kept watching me as I walked off, so I just bowed my head and looked away out of apology," he laughed.

Park Hae-min's defense is widely recognized as the best in the KBO League. As such, he has also become a target of resentment from fans and batters across all nine teams. "Diaz even asked why I caught it and playfully kicked my buttocks, so I just laughed it off. Since defense is what I do best, I can't just not catch the ball because opposing players resent me," he said, seeking understanding.

He added, "Today was my former team, and there are many players I know well, so it felt a bit more awkward. Bae Jae-jun often speaks in Gyeongsang dialect, and after my defensive play, he said 'You look cool' in that dialect. Hearing such words makes me truly proud."

Thanks to Park Hae-min's spectacular defensive plays at the center-field fence at Jamsil Baseball Stadium about once a month, companies advertising in that area reap significant promotional benefits. On this day, he made two catches in front of a construction company's advertisement and one in front of a pizza advertisement, widely publicizing his name.

Last year, on August 5, Park Hae-min received 60 pizzas as a gift from a company after a super catch against the Doosan Bears at Jamsil. Regarding this, Park Hae-min joked, "I think asking for a construction company's advertisement is too much, but pizza seems to be the right timing. I was truly grateful last year for the 60th pizzas they sent." He added, "I think if my efforts lead to good publicity, it's a win-win for both sides. I hope we can continue to achieve such win-win situations in the future."

Most importantly, the victory that broke the losing streak highlighted the significance of his stellar defense. Park Hae-min also contributed at the plate, going 2-for-2 with one RBI and one run as the leadoff hitter. Even in at-bats where he did not reach base, he created scoring opportunities with sacrifice bunts that led to additional runs, truly excelling in both offense and defense.

Park Hae-min stated, "I was extremely eager to break the losing streak. That feeling spread throughout the entire team. It was a tough game until the end, but Oh Ji-hwan hit a home run, allowing us to break the streak."

He continued, "Because I was so eager to break the losing streak, I tried to focus even more on defense. Actually, Won Tae-in is a pitcher who is not easy to steal a base start from. So, it might seem excessive, but I think I pushed myself to take an extra step to break the losing streak. That effort led to today's good result."

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*This content was translated by AI.