I heard about the death of my maternal grandmother before the game. But the game came first. The responsibility of a professional player and the weight of a captain rested on his grandson’s shoulders.
Daegu Samsung Lions Park on the 17th.스포츠토토 Lotte Giants Ahn Chi-hong led the team to a 7-4 victory with 3 hits and 5 RBIs, including a home run.
He started as the third batter and first baseman. He hit a hit that continued the attack from his first at-bat. Jun-Woo Jeon’s timely hit at 1st and 3rd base with 1 out and runners on 1st and 3rd base takes the lead.
After hitting a 2-run home run (7th of the season) in the top of the 3rd inning against Samsung starting pitcher Taylor Widener, he added a 3-run home run (8th of the season) in the top of the 4th inning against second pitcher Choi Ji-gwang, devastating the opponent’s mound.
Both pitches were sliders. Like a veteran, his ability to sharply catch breaking balls was outstanding. Ahn Chi-hong’s consecutive home runs, 2 home runs in 1 game, is the 6th time in his career and 387 days since the Samsung game in Busan on August 25 last year.
Samsung began chasing in the bottom of the 4th inning with Jose Pirella’s 2-run home run (13th). In the bottom of the 7th inning, Lee Jae-hyeon (No. 12) followed, and in the bottom of the 9th, Lee Seong-gyu hit a home run for the first time in 1076 days, but it was not enough to turn the game around.
After the game, Ahn Chi-hong confided, “Today, I tried to stay focused during his at bat, especially with the thought that his maternal grandmother was cheering him on.”
He hurried to pay his respects, saying, “I am more happy to have helped the team achieve a winning streak than personally. I am always grateful to my grandmother who cared for me both as a grandson and as a player.”
Acting Lotte manager Jong-woon Lee commented, “We were able to win thanks to starter Park Se-woong’s excellent pitching. He is a consistent player, so he is dependable. Also, today, we were able to win because Choi Jun-yong prevented a situation that could have led to a crisis without conceding any goals.”
He added, “In terms of batting, Ahn Chi-hong’s 5 RBI performance brought the flow of the game in our favor,” and added, “I am grateful to the Lotte fans for cheering passionately for the victory even when the team was away.”
On this day, Lotte completed its 3rd consecutive win by winning thanks to the performances of Park Se-woong, Ahn Chi-hong, and team-leading players.
We seized literally the last, slim chance to play fall baseball for the first time in six years. If they don’t show a miraculous winning streak like the 9 consecutive wins last April, all that will remain is frustration. In that sense, Ahn Chi-hong’s concentration and mental strength, which led the team to victory even after being mourned, shine brightly.