Lee Hak-joo recorded two hits, two homers, two RBIs and two runs in four at-bats as the ninth hitter and shortstop in the team’s fifth game against the KIA Tigers in the 2024 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League held at Sajik Baseball Stadium in Busan on the 23rd.
After one out and one out in the bottom of the fourth inning when Lotte was leading 4-2, Lee hit a finishing homerun in the 2024 season. He hit a solo homer off KIA underhand Yoon Joong-hyun, making the score 5-2.
Lee hit a 139-kilometer two-seam fastball with Yoon’s first pitch, sending a 125-meter long ball over the central fence. He used a low course outside the strike zone to power the ball that was controlled.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Lee tasted it again in his fourth at-bat. With the Lotte Giants leading 8-4 with one out and no runners, he hit a solo home run off KIA right-hander Kim Min-jae. He hit a 145-km fastball for the fifth time with a three-ball one strike, and passed the homer over the right fence.
Lotte overwhelmed Kia 10-6 by drawing a total of four arches including Lee Hak-joo’s multi-homer game and Yoo Kang-nam and Na Seung-yeop’s homers. Along with its three consecutive wins, the team continued its upward trend in May by securing three rabbits: sweeps and elimination for the first three consecutive games this season.
“There was a part where the bat didn’t fit well recently, but I tried to focus more on defense,” Lee Hak-joo said in an interview with an official coach after the game. “I tried to relieve my stress through defense,” adding, “I was playing hard at the end of the fourth inning without knowing that I was actually going over the fence, but I was happy that it became a home run.” Coach and coach paid a lot of attention, and in particular, coach Lim Hoon’s one-on-one lesson helped me a lot.”
Lee Hak-joo also shared an anecdote about his close friend Hwang Sung-bin. While he had no hit in four times at bat in the match against KIA on the 22nd, he said he heard “bitter” from Hwang and helped him recover his batting sense.
“I was scolded a lot by Hwang after the game on the previous day. I scolded him for telling me the part where the bat turned back and came out,” Lee Hak-joo said. “I trained until I fell asleep after hearing about Hwang.”
“Honestly, Hwang is doing well. I feel good to be scolded by a good player. I think this synergy effect is also coming out,” he joked.
Lee took the starting shortstop position in May. The coaching staff gave him the highest evaluation in terms of defense, and Lee himself is striving to display strong performance in defense.
However, Lee Hak-joo does not think that he is the main character. He says that he is giving up his personal greed and focusing only on the part of doing his part based on the spirit of “team first.”
“I want to contribute a little bit to my team’s victory somehow. I never think I am the main player. I have not shown anything, I have not done anything,” Lee said. “I try to play well in defense when I have energy. My goal is for Lotte to advance to the fifth round. I really want to play fall baseball.”
BY: 토토사이트 모음