'Strikeout-foul fly-strikeout' Kim Do-young's desperate plea, 'Double play → go-ahead run' sigh of relief: "I hope to rely on batters next time" [Aichi Nagoya AG]

*This content was translated by AI.

Despite building momentum with 40 home runs and over 100 RBIs in 123 games, an unexpected nose injury seemed to hinder him. Kim Do-young (23, KIA Tigers), wearing the Taegeuk mark, contributed to the national team's victory with a single powerful hit that reversed his earlier struggles.

On the 21st, Kim Do-young started as the leadoff hitter and third baseman against Taiwan in the first match of Group B at Okazaki Central General Park Baseball Stadium in Okazaki, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, during the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games group stage. He recorded one hit in four at-bats, two strikeouts, and one run scored, leading his team to a 5-0 victory.

After facing Hong Kong on the 23rd and Thailand later, the top two teams in the group will advance to the Super Round. Securing a win against Taiwan increased their chances of reaching the finals. Kim Do-young could finally exhale with relief after successfully starting the campaign.

Although Kim Do-young has been performing at his best this season, he faced an unexpected setback just before the Asian Games when a bunt hit struck his nose. Despite wearing protective gear and proceeding cautiously, his passion for the Asian Games remained unbroken.

As expected from the first game, the 'Kim Do-young shift' was implemented. The team's manager designated Kim Do-young as the leadoff hitter, explaining it was to maximize the utilization of the most powerful batter. Once the first inning passed, he could effectively serve as the third hitter alongside eighth-hitter Park Jae-hyun and ninth-hitter Kim Ji-chan.

On this day, Kim Do-young struggled against the unfamiliar pitching style of opposing starter Lin Yi-wei. In three plate appearances through the sixth inning, he only batted leadoff and could not fulfill the third-hitter role expected by Manager Ryu.

The bigger issue was that Kim Do-young failed to effectively attack the pitchers in all three plate appearances. He struck out in his first at-bat, then hit a weak ball that resulted in a foul fly to the first baseman in the third inning. In the sixth, he also struck out against reliever Ryu Joo-ryong.

However, the lineup found strength late in the game. Korea added two runs in the seventh to take a three-run lead. In the eighth, Kim Do-young again batted leadoff against Wang Wei-jie, the third pitcher for Taiwan.

After watching three balls, Kim Do-young broke his silence with a powerful double to left-center field. When Moon Hyun-bin hit a ground ball toward third base, Kim Do-young advanced to home on Noh Si-hwan's fly ball to left field after tagging up. The inning concluded with Yoon Dong-hee's go-ahead home run, allowing for a satisfying finish.

After the game, Kim Do-young said, "I'm not sure about my hitting feel yet. It's neither good nor bad. I need to focus on every at-bat and find my rhythm." He added, "(Lin Yi-wei) seemed like a unique pitcher not seen in this league, and he didn't match up well with me."

It was fortunate that a double occurred. Kim Do-young stated, "Regardless of the situation, I believed I needed to focus on every at-bat because I must quickly regain my form. I made efforts to concentrate during each plate appearance."

The team will next face relatively easier opponents Hong Kong and Thailand consecutively. Kim Do-young remarked, "I think we need to win more comfortably than this next time. If we relied on the pitchers this time, we should strive to rely on batters in the future," as he urged himself forward.

The real challenge lies after the Super Round. Kim Do-young emphasized, "To succeed in the Super Round, I must focus on every at-bat. Only then will good results emerge. We cannot let our guard down and must concentrate in all plate appearances."

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*This content was translated by AI.