‘Batting first’ Choi’s perfect comeback, 3-hit, 2-RBI outburst…”I think it’s going to be my day”
“I felt like today was the day.”
Choi Jeong (SSG Landers) batted third in the lineup against the LG Twins in the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul, South Korea, going 3-for-4 with a double, two RBIs, one run scored, and one walk to lead his team to a 6-4 victory.
Choi ended the first half of the season with an injury on May 5 against the Incheon KIA Tigers. After recovering, he came back and swung the bat in the first game of the second half.
Choi struck first in the top of the first inning. He took a first-pitch four-seam fastball from Casey Kelly and sent it down the line in front of left-center field. In her second at-bat in the top of the third inning, she lined out to left field, but came out swinging in her third at-bat.온라인바카라
Choi came to the plate in the top of the fifth inning with the score tied at 2-2 and two runners on base. He hit Kelly’s first-pitch curveball to deep left-center field, where left fielder Lee Jae-won stretched out his glove, but the ball hit his glove. Shin-soo Choo slid into home with time to spare, and Choi advanced to second. Choi hit an RBI double to center field to tie the game. Choi Ju-hwan followed with a two-run homer to put the game out of reach.
In the top of the seventh inning, Choi drove in a run with a 5-4 lead. With the bases loaded and one out, he drove a changeup from Ham Deok-ju down the right field line. Choi Ji-hoon came home from first base. Choi stole second with time to spare. In his final at-bat in the top of the ninth, he grounded out to complete his four-hit game.
After the game, Choi told reporters, “I was a little nervous going into the game without seeing the pitch. I was worried if I could hit it. I didn’t hit it exactly right in my first at-bat, but the result was good, and I think I regained my confidence from that,” she said.
“I knew that if I kept looking at the ball, I would be at a disadvantage, so I thought, ‘Let’s play fast,’ and that’s what I did from the first pitch. I felt like it was one of those days,” she said, adding, “I hadn’t batted in a long time and my bat felt a little heavy, so I just tried to time it right and hit everything in the strike zone, and it worked out well.”
Choi reflected on his matchup with Ham Deok-ju: “He doesn’t hit the ball very well, so I tried to go for pitches that he throws well. At first, my timing wasn’t right at all, so I hit it with the idea of pushing it. I thought I’d send it into the gap and get a hit, and that was it. I think today is the day.”
Choi is expected to start all three games against LG as the designated hitter. He will likely start at third base in the next week’s midweek three-game series against the Daegu Samsung Lions. He said, “My physical condition is more than 90 percent. I think I’ll be the designated hitter until this week. I’ll do it in between fielding practice in training. I think I’ll start playing defense next week in Daegu.”
Choi has played in 74 games this season, hitting .317 with 86 hits, 19 home runs, 60 RBIs, 65 runs scored and a .990 OPS. She leads the team in RBIs and home runs. He’s been on fire since his return. This will be a big boost for LG in the race for first place. Cheon Gun-man-ma is back.
