SSG Landers outfielder Ha Jae-hoon’s bat exploded in the KBO.
Ha struck out four times in his first four at-bats in the first game of the season against the Samsung Lions at Samsung Lions Park in Daegu on April 29. It was as if he was wearing a suit that fit him perfectly. He had a hit for the cycle, a home run, a double and a triple, and scored two runs.
After opening the game with a single to right in his first at-bat, Ha led off the third inning with a single to center field and scored on a wild pitch. On a 3B-1S favorable pitch count with Samsung starter Connor Seabold, he pulled a five-pitch 141-kilometer fastball over the left field fence. Masugi’s longest home run of the season. The pitch traveled a whopping 125 meters.
Ha Jae-hoon hit a two-run double to left-center field with the bases loaded in the fifth inning. The next two batters, Han Yoo-seom (grounder to second base) and Kang Jin-sung (fly ball to right field), were stranded. After two outs in the seventh inning, he grounded out to shortstop. SSG snapped a three-game losing streak with a 6-4 victory over Samsung.
Kim Kwang-hyun pitched six innings of two-hit ball, four walks, seven strikeouts and one earned run to reach 160 career wins.
The third pitcher, Cho Byung-hyun, earned his first career save with a scoreless inning of relief, while Moon Seung-won preserved a two-run lead to earn his second save. Choi Ji-hoon, Han Yoo-seom, Ha Jae-hoon, 안전놀이터 추천 and Choi Jung pounded the Samsung mound with home runs.
“I batted first four in SSG, but I was more concerned about the team’s victory than I was nervous. I got good pitches from the first at-bat and gained confidence, which helped me score a lot of runs,” he said.
“My team’s defense inning was long, so I thought I would take my time instead of hitting the first pitch,” Ha said of his home run, “but then I got a good pitch, so I swung at the fastball at the right time and got a good result.
“I’m going to keep the good feeling I had today and go into the game with the mindset of winning every day. I want to repay the fans for their support,” he added.
Meanwhile, manager Lee Sung-yong said, “Today’s winning formula is the home run gun and the ace pitching. With that, we were able to break the losing streak,” said Lee.
“Choi Ji-hoon, Han Yoo-seom, Ha Jae-hoon, and Choi Jung showed off their home run power as a home run team, and Ha Jae-hoon, batting in the No. 4 spot for the first time in his professional career, performed beyond expectations, going 3-for-4 with a home run. The change in the batting order to the fourth and fifth spots was the main reason.”
He also applauded the performance of ace Kim Kwang-hyun.
“On the pitching side, Kim Kwang-hyun was definitely the driving force behind the victory. In the tough situation of the team’s losing streak, Kim Kwang-hyun pitched like an ace. Congratulations to him on reaching the 160-win milestone,” said Kim.
“We used Byung-hyun Cho in a tight situation and he did a great job. I think he will be a great help in our bullpen thinking and planning in the future,” he added, welcoming the new face.