'Number 4 Return, 4 RBI One-Man Show' Hanwha's 30.7 Billion Won Star, Taking More Responsibility and Letting Go of Greed: "When Baek-ho Hyung Returns, I'll Step Aside and Give Him the Number 4 Spot"

*This content was translated by AI.

There is no need to worry even as batting champion Kang Baek-ho (27) takes a break. Noh Si-hwan (26), who experienced severe ups and downs in the early part of the season, is now firmly leading the Hanwha Eagles' lineup.

On the 6th, Noh Si-hwan started as the cleanup hitter and third baseman in the away game against the Lotte Giants at Sajik Baseball Stadium in Busan. He delivered a powerful performance with 2 hits in 5 at-bats (including 1 home run), 4 RBIs, and 2 runs scored, leading the team to a 7-2 victory.

In the top of the first inning with one out and runners on first and second, Noh Si-hwan was retired on a looking strikeout without even swinging at pitcher Lee Min-seok's pitch. He was retired on a third baseman's grounder as the leadoff hitter in the fourth inning and struck out again in the sixth.

The opportunity came in the bottom of the eighth inning with the team trailing 0-2. Lotte's Park Jeong-min gave up three consecutive walks, causing him to waver. With one out and the bases loaded, Noh Si-hwan swung at the first pitch against Lotte's closer Choi Jun-yong. A 149 km/h fastball was located in the middle of the plate, resulting in a hit to right field that brought in two runners. The score was immediately tied at 2-2, and Heo In-seo added a two-run double, extending the lead to 4-2.

After Yonatan Peraza's RBI single in the ninth inning, Noh Si-hwan came to the plate again with two outs and a runner on third base. He smashed Park Jun-woo's first-pitch slider, sending a massive 130-meter two-run home run over the left-field fence, sealing the victory.

Although his overall stats are below expectations with a .266 batting average (54 hits in 203 at-bats), 9 home runs, 38 RBIs, 40 runs scored, a .346 on-base percentage, a .443 slugging percentage, and an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 0.789, he has been on a clear upward trend recently, hitting .368 with 12 RBIs in his last 10 games.

After the game, Noh Si-hwan recalled the scene where he hit the go-ahead single against his one-year junior from Gyeongnam High School, Choi Jun-yong. "It was so fun to see Jun-yong, my one-year junior, come up to pitch. It seemed to create tension and boost my fighting spirit. I was able to focus more at the plate," he said. He added, "His record wasn't great, but I really wanted to hit him today more than anyone else. Jun-yong's strength is his fastball, and with the bases loaded, I thought he would try to get a count by throwing fastballs, so I decided to target only fastballs. It turned out well."

He started the season as the cleanup hitter but, after struggling, handed the spot to free agent (FA) acquisition Kang Baek-ho. Recently, with Kang Baek-ho resting due to hamstring discomfort and appearing only as a pinch hitter, Noh Si-hwan has returned to the cleanup spot.

Noh Si-hwan said, "It's something I've always done, so I didn't feel any particular pressure about the lineup. Since Baek-ho Hyung is currently out of the lineup, I felt a very strong desire to make up for his absence in any way possible. Because I took it seriously, good results followed. When Baek-ho Hyung returns, I will willingly give up the number 4 spot and take on my role again at number 5."

In the early part of the season, he had strong desires for the number 4 spot, but now he is focusing solely on fulfilling his role. Kang Baek-ho is showing excellent batting form, and as Noh Si-hwan gradually improves his own batting, Hanwha is becoming stronger.

Noh Si-hwan said, "The team atmosphere is great these days. All players have a very strong positive energy, so we encourage each other a lot and talk a lot, making me feel like we have truly become one team. Because of that, I think our winning percentage has been good recently."

The balance between offense and pitching is also stabilizing. Noh Si-hwan stated, "The lineup is very good, and the pitchers have found their rhythm. This has given us confidence that we can win any game, even tight ones. Even when we are losing, we don't give up until the end, which is why our winning percentage has been good recently. The bat is much better than last year, so if the pitching staff stabilizes, I think we might be able to aim even higher."

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*This content was translated by AI.