'Bunt failure leads to decisive hit' 9th-inning walk-off replay, Manager Lee Sung-yong: "I called for a bunt, then a hit-and-run; the hit-and-run was decisive" [Incheon field]

*This content was translated by AI.

With the score 2-3 in the bottom of the 9th and no outs at first base, the thought was to advance the runner and tie the game, but Jung Jun-jae (23, SSG Landers) failed twice on bunt attempts, both fouling. Manager Lee Sung-yong (55) of SSG could not hide his troubled expression.

In the end, a better situation unfolded. Jung Jun-jae's hit found the gap between first and second base. With no outs and runners on first and third, a sacrifice fly tied the game, and then Chae Hyun-woo's walk-off double allowed Jung Jun-jae to score, securing a 4-3 walk-off victory.

On the 17th, at the Incheon SSG Landers Field ahead of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League home game against the LG Twins, Manager Lee Sung-yong told reporters, "At first, I called for a surprise bunt, then a hit. But when I called for a hit, he bunted; when I called for a bunt, he couldn't bunt. At 2-2, I called for a hit-and-run." He added, "I thought we needed to score at least one run. Since the fast pitch allowed Jun-jae to make contact, I called for the hit-and-run, and that turned out to be decisive."

The manager said, "He made all those mistakes and then did it at the end. Jun-jae is a bit unpredictable on the baseball field. Sometimes he plays very well, and sometimes he makes plays that make no sense." However, he added, "Still, he has improved a lot, which is comforting. Yesterday, that one decisive hit-and-run allowed us to win."

Selected by SSG in the fifth round, 50th overall, in the 2024 rookie draft, Jung Jun-jae appeared in 88 games in his debut season and was rated as a future leader for the team with a .307 batting average.

Last year, he played in 132 games but left a sense of regret with a .245 batting average, but this season has been completely different. In 38 games, he has soared with a .319 batting average (116 at-bats, 37 hits), acting as a strong table-setter alongside Park Sung-han.

Although he sometimes shows slightly disappointing scenes in bunt situations, the manager still expressed confidence. "I think he can execute surprise bunts sufficiently. We debated whether to bunt or go for a surprise, so I told him to go for the surprise, but then I suddenly told him to swing boldly and take a chance, and he was flustered," he laughed.

In the end, Park Sung-han's sacrifice fly tied the game, and then Chae Hyun-woo hit a double to right field with two outs. Jung Jun-jae used his speed to advance from second to third and then scored at home.

Regarding Chae Hyun-woo, the manager said, "He did a great job. The pitching staff was debating whether to go with Lee Ro-un or Jo Byeong-hyun from the moment the game was tied, and he hit it right on time. The ball didn't look like it would go in from here, so I thought if it wasn't a foul at the moment of contact, it would go in, so I ran out. That shows how much he wanted to win." He continued, "I thought it was done. Hyun-woo really did a great job."

Chae Hyun-woo, who was called up on the 5th, is also showing scary hitting form with a .400 batting average (20 at-bats, 8 hits). The manager said, "When I watch Hyun-woo hitting in practice, his hand comes out best right in front of the point. We used him effectively the year before last, and I thought we should also use Kim Sung-wook and Han Yu-seom to some extent now." He added, "He is the type who works hard. I give every player who works hard a chance, even if it's just one at-bat. Players must seize opportunities. Since he has practiced a lot and prepared well, I expect him to keep getting better."

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*This content was translated by AI.