"With Min-ho back in action..." LG Manager Park Jin-man praised 'Kang Min-ho' twice after defeating LG [Jamsil]

*This content was translated by AI.

Samsung Lions manager Park Jin-man (50) mentioned catcher Kang Min-ho (41, Samsung) twice in his post-victory remarks, praising him on both occasions.

On the 14th, Samsung defeated the LG Twins 9-5 at Seoul Jamsil Stadium, moving into second place by 0.5 games ahead of LG. They trail first-place KT Wiz by one game.

Through the team, Manager Park stated, "We were able to seize early control thanks to Lee Jae-hyun's bases-loaded home run and Kang Min-ho's consecutive home runs," and specifically highlighted Kang Min-ho, adding, "Then, in the fifth inning, Kang Min-ho delivered two more RBIs with two outs and bases loaded, which became a solid foundation for our victory."

Kang Min-ho hit his first home run of the season in his first at-bat of the day, marking his first arch of the year in 29 games. It was a powerful shot launched after 249 days since his last home run against the Hanwha Eagles on September 7 last year.

Starting at eighth spot as a catcher, he hit a solo home run off opposing starter Song Seung-gi in the bottom of the second inning with no outs and no runners on base, while the team led 4-0. This followed Lee Jae-hyun's grand slam, making it back-to-back home runs. After a 0-1 count, he connected on the second pitch, a 120 km/h curveball right down the middle, sending it over the left-field fence. The distance was 120 meters.

Kang Min-ho, who had been struggling with a batting slump early in the season, was removed from the first-division roster on the 3rd and spent time in the Futures League to regroup. Returning to the LG game on the 13th after ten days, he recorded two doubles and two RBIs in his first game back, signaling a return to form.

Before the game, Manager Park said, "Kang Min-ho has the ability to drive in runs from the lower part of the lineup. There must have been pressure in his first game back, but he performed well at the plate, and I look forward to even more from him." He added, "With Min-ho back in action, our batting order can flow smoothly from first to ninth without any weak links."

Kang Min-ho also delivered a two-run double off reliever Kim Jin-su with two outs and bases loaded in the bottom of the fifth, when the score was 5-1, extending the lead to 7-1. With four at-bats, two hits, and three RBIs, he responded to the manager's trust.

Manager Park highly praised starting pitcher Yang Chang-seop, who earned the win with five innings, two earned runs (one unearned), saying, "He performed exceptionally well. Even without defensive support during critical moments, he held on and showed significant growth." He continued, "It was impressive that he remained composed and fought through the final batter (Austin strikeout in the bottom of the fifth), throwing many pitches (13) in the duel."

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*This content was translated by AI.