Kiwoom Heroes' Lee Ju-hyung (23) hit a home run to lead his team to victory.
Lee Joo-hyung hit a home run against SSG Landers in the Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League 2024 at Gocheok Sky Dome on Monday. Starting in the No. 4 spot in the lineup, Lee went 1-for-3 with one double, one home run, one walk, one RBI, and one run scored. It helped Kiwoom to a 10-3 victory. Kiwoom snapped a 13-game home losing streak.
Lee's home run came in the second inning. Trailing 0-1 and leading off, Lee took a 129-kilometer slider from starter Oh Won-seok for a solo home run over the center field fence. It was Lee's first hit in eight games since his last at-bat against Gocheok Doosan on Sept. 9.
After the game, Lee told reporters, “I didn't expect the home run, I just hoped the defense didn't catch it. It felt good to go over the fence,” he said, reflecting on the moment he hit the home run.
Lee has been playing only as a designated hitter since his hamstring injury. This is to prevent a recurrence. The coaching staff, including head coach Hong Won-ki, is keeping a close eye on Lee's thigh. “Whenever he runs, I feel like I'm running with him,” Hong said, adding that he pays special attention to his physical condition.
Lee is also worried about injuries. He said, “My thigh is good and bad. When I'm not hitting well, I seem to run the bases faster and harder, so I'm trying to be careful about that. I'm also nervous about my body. Normally I always think after I run, 'I ran fast,' but now I'm conscious of it while I'm running. I can control it now,” he said.
Although he has hit home runs, his batting balance is still not perfect. Lee feels the same way. “The numbers speak for themselves,” he said. After I came back, I struck 안전놀이터 out a lot and my batting average dropped a lot, and I think I had a bad impact on the team because I didn't get into scoring position,” he said.
He also regretted being limited to the designated hitter position. Lee said he can take out his frustrations at the plate when he's defending, but sitting in the dugout puts him under more stress. “When I'm out there as a designated hitter, I'm thinking about all the times I've been out and all the times I've come in and missed. It puts you in a deeper hole. There's something about playing defense that takes your mind off things. Right now, I'm just trying to get one hit a day,” he said, adding that he'll do his job in any given situation.
Recently, Lee has been batting fourth. He doesn't mind the batting order, but he says he's more focused when there are runners on base. “It's always about results. I need to get good results, but I'm not doing well right now. With runners on base, my timing is better. If I get one or two lucky hits, I think I'll be able to hit comfortably in scoring position,” he said.
Lee had a breakout season last year after being traded from the LG Twins to Kiwoom. In 69 games, he batted .326 (70-for-215) with six home runs, 36 RBIs, 70 runs scored, a .390 slugging percentage and a .507 on-base percentage. Led the Kiwoom batting order. However, a hamstring injury kept him out of many games. This season, he has been battling a hamstring injury again.
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