"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.

With only one double needed for a cycle hit, Oh Ji-hwan (36, LG Twins) sent his final at-bat over the fence. Though 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 securing their fifth consecutive win.

Oh Ji-hwan endured a challenging start to the season. Before today's game, over 115 games, he recorded a .233 batting average (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 have recently emerged. Including two home runs in the the 13th game against Samsung Lions in Daegu, Oh Ji-hwan has hit five hits in 18 at-bats over his last five games, beginning to demonstrate power once again.

Today was different from the start. In the bottom of the second inning, Oh Ji-hwan led off and did not miss a pitch thrown by KT starter Logan Allen right down the middle, crushing it 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, the KT battery intentionally walked Moon Jeong-bin to face Oh Ji-hwan directly. Despite having hit a home run in his previous at-bat, they chose to challenge Oh Ji-hwan. He responded with his bat, taking an aggressive approach and driving Logan Allen's high fastball into left-center field for an RBI single, extending LG's lead to 3-0.

After a brief pause with a fly ball to third base in the fifth inning, Oh Ji-hwan produced another extra-base hit in the seventh. Leading off again, he drove Lee Jung-hyun's forkball that broke outside into a triple down the left-center field gap.

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 Jeong-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. After a tense at-bat, Oh Ji-hwan connected with Jang's seventh forkball and sent it over the right-field fence. It was his 13th home run of the season, traveling 127.6 meters—a two-run shot. Though 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, Oh Ji-hwan was substituted for Lee Young-bin before taking another at-bat. Rather than expressing regret, he prioritized his younger teammates. Oh Ji-hwan said, "It would seem strange if I, as a senior player, asked for another chance while younger players are getting opportunities. If given another opportunity, I would have wanted to try it again, but I didn't want to put pressure on the young players."

Most importantly, it was encouraging that his power hitting had returned. Oh Ji-hwan reflected, "I am a hitter who must hit home runs. I started the season with the goal of becoming a player who can hit 20 home runs even if my batting average is only .270. However, I struggled because I couldn't generate enough extra-base hits."

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 focused on lifting the bat from a higher position before bringing it down. I also widened my stance to create more space for my hands to move. Austin also gave me advice. He tends to try to hit pitchers low, which was very helpful."

He particularly concentrated on moving his hitting point forward. "When analyzing hitters who perform well, players like Moon Hyun-bin, Kim Do-young, and Austin have their hitting points very far forward," he said. "Seeing that made me realize I need to 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 should have performed better, but it wasn't easy. So, I am always grateful to the coaches."

The changes he made by quietly swinging his bat are gradually showing results. Not only is Oh Ji-hwan's personal performance improving, but LG is also on an upward trend. 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 defeated 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 pressure. 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 have done an excellent job leading the way. The younger players have 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 at the top in the remaining 15 games," he said with a smile.

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*This content was translated by AI.