'Couldn't have imagined it' Kim Do-young's 40 home runs, now halted for eight days... Changwon NC-KIA game rained out → Will attempt again at his home stadium!

*This content was translated by AI.

An unexpected silence. In just two weeks, Kim Do-young (23) of the KIA Tigers had hit six home runs in succession, charging relentlessly toward 40 home runs. But his bat has now been silent for eight days at 39 home runs. Ultimately, Kim Do-young will once again attempt to achieve his career-first 40 home runs and the youngest record in KBO history at his familiar home stadium, Gwangju.

The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) canceled the scheduled game between NC Dinos and KIA at Changwon NC Park on the 3rd due to rain. The match had no designated makeup date and will be rescheduled later.

An unforeseen downpour struck. Around 3 p.m., heavy rain suddenly poured over the Changwon area. NC immediately covered the field with large tarps, but the intense rainfall in a short period severely deteriorated the ground conditions.

An NC club official told StarNews, "Even though we quickly covered the field with tarps due to the sudden rain, the ground became a mess. Although the rain has slightly eased, it poured heavily for about an hour, leaving the outfield and areas near the foul line in a state where no immediate repairs were possible."

The rain proved particularly cruel for NC. Recently, they had secured dramatic victories against Hanwha and KIA in succession, riding a five-game winning streak. With 53 wins, two draws, and 58 losses this season, they have maintained sixth place, narrowing the gap to fifth-place Doosan to just six games.

Conversely, the rain offered KIA a chance to catch their breath. The previous day, closer Lee Ui-ri faltered in the bottom of the ninth inning, leading to a shocking walk-off loss. After Lee Ui-ri threw two consecutive balls to Kim Hyung-jun with two outs and bases loaded, KIA switched pitchers to Sung Young-tak. However, Sung Young-tak also ultimately allowed a bases-loaded walk, resulting in their second consecutive loss.

Kim Do-young now has time to regroup. Just a few days ago, 40 home runs seemed within reach. Kim Do-young hit 11 home runs in June and eight more in July. In August, he hit six home runs in just two weeks, quickly reaching 39 home runs.

Notably, on the 26th against the Gwangju Lotte Giants, he hit his 39th home run of the season, surpassing his personal single-season record of 38 home runs set in 2024. Now, just one more home run would secure his career-first 40 home runs.

Yet, as if by a miracle, the home runs stopped. Opportunities to play were scarce. Heavy rains that struck southern regions over the past weekend canceled two of three home games against Gwangju SSG Landers, and this final away game in Changwon was also wiped out by sudden heavy rain.

Even in the few games that did take place during this period, his performance remained lackluster. On the 29th against Gwangju SSG, he went hitless in three at-bats, and in the Changwon NC series on the 1st and 2nd, he managed only one hit in five at-bats. In the previous game, a well-hit ball was caught just in front of the center field fence.

Ultimately, Kim Do-young will once again attempt to reach 40 home runs at his familiar home stadium, Gwangju-Kia Champions Field. This year, he has hit the most home runs (21) in Gwangju.

The opponent this time is second-place KT Wiz. Against KT this season, Kim Do-young has performed well with a .286 batting average (35 at-bats, 10 hits) and one home run in nine games. With pitchers Go Young-pyo, Logan Allen, Bae Je-seong, or Oh Won-seok expected to start, all eyes are on whether Kim Do-young can also achieve this historic KBO record.

If Kim Do-young hits just one more home run by the game on the 6th, he will break former manager Lee Seung-yeop (50), known as the "National Hitter," who holds the record for the youngest player to hit 40 home runs in KBO history. Lee Seung-yeop achieved 40 home runs at the age of 22 years, 11 months, and five days during the 1999 season, going on to win the home run title with 54 home runs that year.

All attention is now focused on Gwangju as Kim Do-young, who has remained at 39 for eight days, attempts to finally draw his 40th arc in front of his most familiar home fans.

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*This content was translated by AI.