KIA Tigers also have a big catcher who crosses the fence. KIA catcher Han Jun-su fired a home run in another away game in Munhak. It was a day of Han Jun-su, who fully showed his value as the next-generation home mother.
Han Jun-su started as the eighth batter catcher against SSG Landers in Munhak on September 2 and contributed to his team’s 12-4 victory with two hits in four at-bats, one homer, two RBIs, one walk and one run. 스포츠토토
KIA scored the first run with Choi Hyung-woo’s RBI timely double in a one-out, first and second base opportunity created by Kim Do-young and Na Sung-bum’s walks after one out in the top of the first inning. In the ensuing opportunity with one out and runners on second and third bases, Socrates, a follow-up hitter, hit a sacrifice fly ball to right field and scored an additional point.
After leadoff hitter Hwang Dae-in got on base with a walk in the top of the second inning, follow-up hitter Han Joon-soo hit the opposing starter Moon Seung-won’s fourth fastball of 141km/h and shot a two-run home run with a distance of 115m. Following his first home run against Munhak SSG on July 5, Han Jun-su hit his second home run of the season in an away match against Munhak.
After being chased 4-3 in the top of the seventh inning, KIA hit a 132km/h slider in the fifth pitch of pitcher Ko Hyo-joon, who Socrates changed, with a two-out walk and Na Sung-bum’s hit, and ran away 6-3. KIA ran away one more step with pinch hitter Ko Jong-wook’s RBI timely hit to the right in the ensuing opportunity with two outs and runners on first and second bases.
KIA hit a two-run home run over the middle wall with a distance of 130m by hitting the third 145km/h fastball of pitcher Jung Sung-gon, who changed Na Sung-bum with two outs and one base in the top of the eighth inning, sealing the game.
KIA allowed one run in the bottom of the eighth inning, but Oh Sun-woo’s three-run home run in the top of the ninth inning completely destroyed the SSG mound. KIA, which has achieved double-digit scores in three consecutive games, has narrowed its gap with SSG in third place to 2.5 games.
On the same day, Han Jun-su contributed greatly to the early dominance of the game with a surprise home run over the fence in the top of the second inning. This was not the end of Han Jun-su’s performance at the plate. Han Jun-su hit Moon Seung-won’s first pitch of 147km/h in the top of the fourth inning to make a big double that fell behind the left side of the center fielder. In the top of the sixth inning, Han Jun-su also got a walk and played a role as a link with a two-out bases-loaded opportunity along with a three-on-base game.
It was also a day that stood out as a catcher. Han Jun-su teamed up with starting pitcher Yoon Young-chul to achieve his eighth win of the season by allowing three runs in five innings. Han Jun-su, who met with reporters after the game, said, “I predicted that the moment I was hit at the plate in the top of the second inning, I would unconditionally cross the fence. He hit his first home run (July 5) in early July and had a three-hit game at Munhak Stadium, which seems to have received positive energy. (Kim)Sunbin also said with a joke, “I’m here again, so do well,” and smiled, saying, “I got a really good result.”
Coach Kim Jong-kook expressed his expectations for Yoon Young-chul and Han Jun-su’s battery chemistry before the game. As head coach Kim expected, Han Jun-su worked with Yoon Young-chul to minimize runs and jointly won eight games of the season. Han Jun-su said, “(Yoon) Young-chul has not been able to win recently, so I kept thinking about mixing the ball. The idea was to prevent at least three runs until the fifth inning, but it went well as planned. Last time I worked together, there were many situations where I was greedy after two strikes and signed a fastball. Young-chul is an excellent style in pitching that fits his age. This time, I signed the ball with weight on the breaking ball as a decision tool,” he nodded.
Han Jun-su is playing the role of a backup catcher who supports veteran catcher Kim Tae-gun. There is no choice but to have a jagged starting opportunity, but Han Jun-su is always preparing to prove his value even if he has a small opportunity.
Han Jun-su said, “It’s the second problem if you go to the game or not. I always consciously try to prepare to play in the dugout because I don’t know when I’ll be out. “I’m happy to be in the first team, but I think I should keep my initial commitment and work hard no matter where I am,” he stressed.
Finally, Han Jun-su said, “I’ve reached seven consecutive wins, but I don’t think I’ll lose when I play. When I look at the team’s batting line, I pride myself on having no time to rest. I believe the team’s winning streak will continue. Also, thanks to KIA fans filling the baseball stadium, I am more encouraged. It seems that there are always KIA fans in half of the baseball stadium. Thank you always,” he said emphatically.