"I didn't want the focus to be solely on my personal performance." Oh Ji-hwan, who led LG to five consecutive victories with four hits and two home runs, expressed satisfaction despite failing to achieve a cycle hit [Suwon Field]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

With only one double needed for a cycle hit, Oh Ji-hwan (36, LG Twins) sent his final at-bat over the fence. Although he missed the historic achievement, the two home runs signaled his emergence from a prolonged slump.

On the 18th, Oh Ji-hwan started as the shortstop and sixth hitter in LG's road game against KT Wiz at Suwon KT Wiz Park. He delivered an outstanding performance with four hits (two home runs) in five at-bats, driving in four runs, scoring twice, and drawing one walk, leading LG to a decisive 12-1 victory and extending their winning streak to five games.

Oh Ji-hwan endured a challenging start to this season. Before today's game, over 115 matches, he recorded a batting average of .233 (83 hits in 356 at-bats), 11 home runs, 53 RBIs, 47 runs scored, and four stolen bases, with an on-base percentage of .315, slugging percentage of .368, and OPS of .683. However, signs of recovery began to emerge recently. Including two home runs in the the 13th game against Samsung Lions in Daegu, he hit five hits in 18 at-bats over his last five games, once again demonstrating his power-hitting ability.

Today was different from the start. Oh Ji-hwan, batting leadoff in the bottom of the second inning, did not miss a pitch thrown by KT's starting pitcher Logan Allen right down the middle, sending it soaring over the right-field fence. It was his 12th home run of the season, traveling 119.1 meters.

A peculiar scene unfolded in the third inning. With two outs and a runner on second base, KT's battery decided to intentionally walk Moon Jung-bin and challenge Oh Ji-hwan directly. Despite having hit a home run in his previous at-bat, they chose to face Oh Ji-hwan head-on. Oh Ji-hwan responded with his bat. He aggressively engaged the battle, connecting with Logan's high fastball and driving it into left-center field for an RBI single, extending LG's lead to 3-0.

After taking a brief rest with a fly ball to third base in the fifth inning, Oh Ji-hwan produced another extra-base hit in the seventh. Batting leadoff again, he drove an outside forkball from pitcher Lee Jung-hyun into the gap between center and left field for a triple.

With only one double needed for a cycle hit, another opportunity arose in the top of the eighth inning. Austin Dean, Song Chan-ui, and Moon Jung-bin reached base consecutively, bringing Oh Ji-hwan to the plate once more. The opposing pitcher was right-handed rookie Jang Min-ho making his first-team debut that day. After a tense battle, Oh Ji-hwan connected with Jang's seventh forkball, sending it over the right-field fence. It was his 13th home run of the season, traveling 127.6 meters as a two-run shot. Although he fell short of the cycle hit, he added another home run, drawing a second arc for the day.

After the game, when asked about his disappointment over missing the cycle hit, Oh Ji-hwan candidly replied, "As a player, I naturally wanted to try achieving it once. Having played baseball for 18 years without ever accomplishing such a feat, that thought crossed my mind."

Nevertheless, he did not obsess over personal records. Oh Ji-hwan stated, "I can't just hit whatever I want. Even thinking about it puts too much pressure on me. The team's morale is excellent right now, and I didn't want attention to focus solely on my individual achievements."

In the bottom of the ninth inning, he was substituted for Lee Young-bin before facing another at-bat. Rather than expressing regret, Oh Ji-hwan prioritized his younger teammates. He said, "It seems a bit funny for a senior player like me to ask for another chance when younger players are getting opportunities. If I had been given another chance, I would have wanted to try, but I didn't want to put pressure on the young players."

Most importantly, it was heartening to see his power hitting return. Oh Ji-hwan reflected, "I am a hitter who must hit home runs. I started this season with the goal of becoming a player who can hit 20 home runs even if my batting average is only .270. However, I had been worried because my extra-base hits weren't coming through."

To find a solution, he made changes. He adjusted his hitting point forward based on advice from the data analysis team and the batting department, and also received help from Austin Dean. Oh Ji-hwan explained, "I tried to look at pitchers slightly lower and felt like I was lifting my hands up from the top position before swinging down. I also spread my legs wider to create more space for my hands to come through. Austin also gave me advice. He tends to try to hit pitchers low, which was very helpful."

He particularly focused on moving his hitting point forward. He noted, "When analyzing hitters who perform well, players like Moon Hyun-bin, Kim Do-young, and Austin have their hitting points very far forward. Seeing that made me think I should hit even further forward." He added, "This year, the batting coaches must have had a hard time because of me. As a regular player, I was supposed to perform well, but it wasn't as easy as I hoped. So, I am always grateful to the coaches."

The changes he made by quietly swinging his bat are gradually showing results. Not only did his personal performance improve, but LG also regained its upward momentum. With today's victory, third-place LG extended their winning streak to five games, improving their record to 73 wins, 1 draw, and 55 losses. They maintained a four-game gap behind second-place Samsung Lions (76 wins, 3 draws, 50 losses), who also won against Hanwha Eagles on the same day. Meanwhile, KT, which had been on a seven-game winning streak, suffered a setback, dropping to 76 wins, 4 draws, and 46 losses, allowing Samsung to close the gap to just 1.5 games.

Oh Ji-hwan emphasized, "We have experienced both being at the top and climbing from below, so we understand the difference in feeling. In fact, teams at the top may feel more pressure. We can simply focus on moving forward without worrying."

He continued, "In situations like this, team morale is most important. Veterans like (Park) Hae-min and (Park) Dong-won did an excellent job leading the way. The younger players also performed exceptionally well, following their seniors' lead and creating a positive atmosphere. Last year, we almost had to go into a tiebreaker, so we understand how precious every game is. We will continue to look up for the remaining 15 games," he said with a smile.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original