INCHEON, A postseason veteran delivered jabs with three singles. A postseason rookie landed a big blow with a home run.
Together, Park Kun-woo and Kim Hyung-jun played the offensive heroes for the NC Dinos Monday night, as they beat the SSG Landers 7-3 in Game 2 of their first round series in the Korea Baseball Organization postseason.
Park Kun-woo of the NC Dinos (R) celebrates after hitting an RBI single against the SSG Landers during the top of the eighth inning in Game 2 of the first round series in the Korea Baseball Organization postseason at Incheon SSG Landers Field in Incheon, west of Seoul, on Oct. 23, 2023. (Yonhap)
Park went 3-for-5 with two RBIs, while Kim’s lone hit was a solo shot in the eighth inning at Incheon SSG Landers Field in Incheon, west of Seoul.
As postseason participants go, Park and Kim couldn’t be more different.
Park, 33, has won three Korean Series championship rings. He had 56 postseason games under his belt entering this series. Kim, 23, is playing in his first postseason.
Park doesn’t exactly have a glowing resume, with a .208 career batting average prior to this series. This pales in comparison to his regular season lifetime mark of .326, the highest in league history by a right-handed batter with at least 3,000 plate appearances.
Kim hasn’t looked the part of the rookie, having hit three home runs in three postseason games so far. He had just six homers in 26 regular season games this year.
Kim hit that home run, off a changeup by Moon Seung-won, three innings after his botched bunt attempt killed a promising rally for the Dinos. With runners at first and second with nobody out, Kim bunted the ball right back to Moon, who threw out the lead runner at third to start an unconventional 1-5-3 double play.
“I knew I threw cold water on our rally, and I feel so fortunate I hit such an important home run in my next at-bat,” Kim said. “Honestly, I don’t even know how I made contact. I just swung the bat and hit the ball over the fence.”
Kim credited his recent experience of playing at the Asian Games in China with helping him stay calm in postseason games. As South Korea fielded a mostly under-24 squad in Hangzhou, Kim was picked out of a relatively thin pool of catching talent and thrived as the main backstop.
“I think it has been a tremendous help,” Kim said of helping the country win gold. “After playing in an international event like that, I am not quite as nervous about these games here as I would have been.”
Park said he was proud of the way Kim has handled himself.
“He’s playing on a different level than I am,” Park said with a smile. “I went after the same changeup from Moon Seung-won and flied out to right field. And Hyung-jun hit a homer off that pitch.”
Park himself was no slouch on this night, as he helped set the tone early offensively for the Dinos in Monday’s win.
After Son Ah-seop led off the game with an infield single, Park Min-woo struck out. Park Kun-woo then kept the line moving with a single to left field.
Kim Hyung-jun of the NC Dinos watches the ball after hitting a solo home run against the SSG Landers during the top of the eighth inning in Game 2 of the first round series in the Korea Baseball Organization postseason at Incheon SSG Landers Field in Incheon, west of Seoul, on Oct. 23, 2023. (Yonhap)
It was followed by two hits and a sacrifice fly, as the Dinos quickly opened up a 3-0 lead.
In the top of the second, the Dinos drew back-to-back walks with two outs. Park then cashed in a run with a single for a 4-0 cushion.
Park collected his third hit of the game in the three-run eighth inning, giving the Dinos some much-needed breathing room. They entered the inning nursing a 4-3 lead, and Park capped a three-run frame with a single up the middle.
“Someone has to go crazy every game, and I think it was my turn today,” Park said. “As one of the older guys now, I am trying to play with more responsibly and help my teammates along the way.”
Source: Yonhap News Agency