Lions infielder Ryu Ji-hyuk savors 1st postseason homer vs. ex-team: 'It was incredible'
Samsung Lions infielder Ryu Ji-hyuk will never be mistaken for a power hitter. In 1,221 regular-season games over 15 years in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), Ryu has hit just 23 home runs. And in 38 postseason games before Thursday night, Ryu had zero homers. Ryu's breakthrough dinger came at an opportune time for his club. His two-run home run off Kia Tigers starter Keisho Shirakawa gave…
Ryu Ji-hyuk, a second baseman for the Samsung Lions, experienced his first postseason home run against his former team, the Kia Tigers. Over his 15-year career in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), Ryu had only managed 23 home runs in 1,221 regular-season games. Prior to this moment, he had never hit a homer in the postseason, which consisted of 38 games.
Ryu's breakthrough hit came during Game 3 of the second round of the KBO postseason, when he delivered a two-run homer in the top of the fifth inning against Kia Tigers' starting pitcher Keisho Shirakawa. This crucial hit shifted the score to 4-3 in favor of the Lions. Despite the Lions conceding a run in the bottom half of the sixth inning, they managed to secure a 6-4 victory in the end.
Ryu expressed his surprise, stating that he didn't typically hit home runs and that the feeling of connecting one was still unfamiliar to him. However, in this instance, he knew immediately that he had struck a homer, allowing him to celebrate early by making his way to the dugout. Ryu's performance was described as "incredible" by himself.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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