“Thanks to the fans for creating the atmosphere”
Doosan Bears’ Kim Jae-hwan (35) thanked the fans for filling Jamsil Baseball Stadium on a weekday.
Kim went 1-for-4 with one home run, three RBIs, one run scored, and one strikeout as the No. 4 designated hitter against the Hanwha Eagles in the 2024 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League at 6:30 p.m. on Monday at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul.
Despite his performance, Kim’s season batting average dropped slightly to 0.302 from 0.306. Doosan snapped a two-game losing streak with a 5-3 victory over Hanwha, led by Kim’s come-from-behind three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Kim Jae-hwan had a scoring opportunity in his first at-bat of the day. In the bottom of the first inning, Heo and Yang put runners on first and third with back-to-back singles. Kim Jae-hwan took advantage of Sanchez’s first pitch and made a strong contact, but the ball went straight at Hanwha second baseman Moon Hyun-bin for a double play.
In his next two at-bats, Kim struck out swinging and grounded out to first base. Doosan trailed Hanwha, 2-3, heading into the top of the seventh inning with the No. 4 hitter silent.
But Kim Jae-hwan woke up when his team needed him most. Doosan put runners on first and second with one out in the bottom of the seventh after back-to-back singles by Heo Kyung-min and Yang Yang-ji. With runners at first and third on the corners and Cho stealing second, Kim launched a 148-kilometer per hour fastball from Hanwha left-hander Kim Bum-soo over the left-field wall for a three-run homer that traveled 120 meters. It was Kim’s fourth home run of the season. It gave Doosan a 5-3 lead and ultimately the win.
In his postgame interview, Kim Jae-hwan said, “I’m grateful to (Cho) for stealing third base. It took the pressure off me. I hit it lightly and without pressure, and it led to a good result.”
On this day, 23,598 spectators came to Jamsil Baseball Stadium to watch the game. It was only 152 people short of the full capacity (23,750 seats). Despite the lack of a full house, the atmosphere in the stadium was reminiscent of the postseason.
“It was actually fun,” says Kim Jae-hwan. I was focused. I was 토토 worried that it would be hard because I wanted to do well. But I’m so grateful to the fans. They created a fun atmosphere,” he said, thanking the fans.
Kim Jae-hwan was in an extreme slump last year, batting .220 with a .674 OPS, 10 home runs and 46 RBIs. However, in front of many fans, he boldly signaled his resurgence. However, Kim Jae-hwan said, “It’s meaningful in its own way, but I’m wearing a poker face to not care. If you play with the mindset that you have to repay the fans for their passionate support, you can become rigid. I’m thinking more about how I can focus on my at-bats,” he explained.
Kim Jae-hwan was considered a key player for Doosan before the season. “I heard that about 10 years ago in camp. I still feel that I am the center of the Doosan team. I’m taking it well.”