Lions infielder Ryu Ji-hyuk savors 1st postseason homer vs. ex-team: 'It was incredible'

Gwangju, Oct. 30 (Yonhap) -- Rookie infielder Ryu Ji-hyuk of the Samsung Lions experienced a memorable moment on Thursday night, hitting his first postseason home run. Ryu, who has only 23 home runs in 1,221 regular-season games over his 15-year KBO career, finally found his power against his former team, the Kia Tigers, in the second round of the KBO postseason.

Ryu's two-run homer off Kia Tigers' Keisho Shirakawa put the Lions ahead 4-3 in the top of the fifth inning of Game 3. Despite the Lions giving up the tying run in the bottom of the sixth, Ryu's blast helped the Lions pull ahead 6-4 in the seventh inning for a victory.

In an interview, Ryu expressed his surprise at connecting for a home run, saying he didn't really know how it feels to hit a ball out of the park. However, he celebrated early, trotting around the bases as if he had done this before.

Ryu, who played for the Tigers from 2020 to 2022 and has been with the Lions since 2023, said he is grateful to have hit a postseason homer before his career ends. He also revealed that he has changed his mindset regarding his former team and no longer regards them as his enemy. Ryu emphasized that he is focused on playing in the postseason in 2026 and not dwelling on the 2024 Korean Series loss.