Hwang Jae-gyun and Alford warmed up their bats. ‘2 losses → 2 wins’ KT’s batting lineup has no gaps
KT’s Hwang Jae-gyun and Anthony Alford broke out of their long hitting slump in the third game of the playoffs against NC.
KT won the fourth game of the playoffs against NC in a blowout 11-2 victory at Changwon NC Park on April 3. Starter William Cuevas pitched a six-inning no-hitter.
KT’s bats pounded the opposing mound with 14 hits, long and short. Among the batters, Hwang Jae-gyun and Alford stood out.
Hwang Jae-gyun had been in a slump until Game 3 of the playoffs, going 2-for-12. Alford, who batted 2-for-8 in the regular season (142-for-491) with 15 home runs, 70 RBIs, 83 runs scored and 17 stolen bases to help KT reach the playoffs, 바카라사이트 went 0-for-8 with three walks and five strikeouts in the three games.
Manager Lee Kang-cheol said before Game 4, “I can’t ignore the feeling of the game. I think we’ll be able to play a little better in the fourth game,” Lee said, hoping that his batters would regain their form.
Hwang Jae-gyun was the first to start
With runners on first and third in the second inning, he hit a two-run double to left field to bring home the third baseman.
In the fourth inning, he led off with a walk to NC’s second pitcher, Lee Jae-hwa, and on a 2B-0S count, he pulled a three-pitch changeup over the left field fence. It traveled 125 meters.
After adjusting his bat with a single to left in the sixth inning, Alford stepped to the plate to lead off the eighth. Facing NC’s fourth pitcher, Yong-Jun Lee, on a 3B-0S favorable pitch count, he took a four-pitch fastball over the left-center field wall for a 120-meter home run. KT defeated NC 11-2 and evened the series at 2-2.
Manager Lee Kang-cheol said after the game,
“I wanted the bats to break out, and they did just that from the first inning. We took the lead and the bats came alive. I think we played a comfortable game for the playoffs,” said Lee, who was pleased with the even performance of his batters.
On Alford’s return to form, he said, “I had him hitting on purpose on 3B-0S pitches. You have to keep finding your groove. That’s why I didn’t take him out.” “Hwang Jae-gyun was trying to do too well, so I took him down,” Lee said, adding, “He did a good job at the plate. His face also brightened up.” He was pleased with the result.
KT, which was in a precarious situation after losing both the first and second games at Anbang, swept the third and fourth games and returned to Suwon in good spirits.
On the 5th, they will play NC on their home field for a chance to advance to the Korean Series.
The return to form of Hwang Jae-gyun and Alford, who had been struggling with their batting, was another gain in Game 4 and a factor in raising expectations for a Game 5 victory.