KT WIZ veteran infielder Hwang Jae-gyun (36) made a costly mistake in Game 1 of the KBO Playoffs (PO) against the NC Dinos at Katie Wiz Park in Suwon on March 30.Trailing 0-2 in the top of the third inning, Hwang missed a simple infield hit by the opposing team’s leadoff hitter, Park Min-woo .Hwang Jae-gyun’s error led to an unearned run, and KT dropped the game 5-9.In the second game of the PO the next day, Hwang Jae-gyun made another mistake. In the fifth inning, trailing 0-3, he missed Park Min-woo’s grounder. It wasn’t like Hwang Jae-gyun, who had been through the entire series. KT lost the second game of the PO with a score of 2-3 due to their shaky defense. Hwang Jae-gyun tried to control his expression. He played the third game of the PO as if he didn’t care if it would affect the team’s mood.
“He’s definitely a veteran,” KT coach Lee Kang-cheol said of Hwang Jae-gyun ahead of the fourth game of the PO at Changwon NC Park on April 3, “and he doesn’t mind making mistakes.” He even joked, “He doesn’t seem to feel sorry for himself.” Lee expressed his trust in Hwang Jae-gyun in an indirect way. However, Hwang Jae-gyun’s mind was filled with anxiety, apology, and pressure. In the top of the fourth inning of Game 4, Hwang made a mistake that cost him the leadoff hitter, Son Ah-seop. It was his third error in four games of the series. Hwang Jae-gyun’s expression was distorted. He raised his hand to apologize to starting pitcher William Cuevas, who was standing on the mound. Cuevas’ reverse throw prevented Hwang from scoring a run, but Hwang’s expression was still dark .Hwang Jae-gyun hit a grounder in front of the pitcher in his first at-bat at third base in the bottom of the first inning with the score tied 0-0. He couldn’t get his head up.
However, Hwang Jae-gyun broke out of a self-inflicted rut that seemed impossible to escape.With a 3-0 lead and runners on first and third in the top of the second inning, he lined a clean single to left field off the second pitcher of the game, Lee Jae-hak.With the score 6-0, Hwang Jae-gyun took a changeup from Lee Jae-hak in the top of the fourth inning and blasted a 스포츠토토존 huge home run over the left field fence.It was a shot that erased his earlier mistake.