Head coach checks on foreign investor leaving Korea: "It must have been tough in a foreign country for such a short period; I hope you keep only good memories."

*This content was translated by AI.

Blake Madris (30), a substitute foreign hitter for SSG Landers, delivered an outstanding performance in his final match on Korean soil, ending his tenure with distinction.

On the 16th, ahead of the game against LG Twins held at Seoul Jamsil Stadium, manager Lee Sung-yong unexpectedly announced Madris's departure. The manager stated, "Today is Madris's last game. He has already said goodbye to the team and will return to the United States after playing today's match." Although his contract was set until the 20th, with autumn baseball now off the table, the decision was interpreted as giving opportunities to other hitters over foreign players.

Until that day, Madris had managed only a .150 batting average in 16 games. In his farewell game, however, he delivered his best performance. Starting as the seventh hitter and left fielder, he went 2-for-3 with one home run, two runs scored, one RBI, and one walk. He opened the scoring with a hit in the first at-bat of the second inning, showcased excellent defense by catching LG's Lee Jae-won's ball in the bottom of the third, drew a walk in the fifth, and then hit back-to-back home runs with Han Yu-seom in the top of the sixth, sending the ball over the Jamsil outfield wall. Madris finished his second multi-hit game on the KBO first division stage with a final batting average of .175. Among his 11 hits, four were home runs.

The head coach also offered heartfelt farewell words to the foreign hitter who gave his all until the very end. After the game, manager Lee Sung-yong said, "Madris likely faced difficulties adapting to the team and league in a foreign country for such a short period, but I hope he leaves SSG Landers with only good memories." He added, "I sincerely wish him continued success in his baseball career moving forward," sending warm encouragement.

Thanks to Madris's professional farewell performance, SSG secured a 6-0 victory over LG, achieving a winning series. This marks their first winning series against LG since July 2022, four years later. Manager Lee Sung-yong remarked, "I believe we were able to secure two winning series this week thanks to the support of our fans who stayed with us until the end. We will prepare well to deliver good games and results next week as well," vowing continued success.

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*This content was translated by AI.