Samsung’s Oh Jae-il added an RBI for the first time in 48 days. His late-game RBI single helped secure a come-from-behind victory.
Oh Jae-il started at first base in the No. 8 spot against LG at Samsung Lions Park in Daegu on May 15 and went 1-for-4 with a walk and two RBIs.
He struck out in back-to-back at-bats in the first inning. In the second inning, with runners on first and third, he struck out against LG starter Plutko. With runners on first and second in the sixth inning with the score 4-2, he struck out against left-hander Ham Deok-ju.
Leading 4-3 in the eighth inning, Oh Jae-il stepped to the plate with the bases loaded. LG bullpen pitcher Park Myeong-geun gave up three singles and a walk to load the bases. LG switched pitchers from Park to Choi Dong-hwan.
In a three-pitch at-bat, Oh hit a fastball that Austin, the first baseman, made a diving catch, but the ball grazed the mitt and deflected sideways to the second baseman for a hit. He followed with a single to right to bring home two runners and make it 6-3.
LG scored two runs in the top of the ninth against Samsung closer Oh Seung-hwan to pull within one run, 6-5. Oh’s RBI double proved to be the difference in the game.
It was Oh’s first RBI in 48 days. Oh last had a single on June 28 against Lotte. He then spent a month on the disabled list in early July with a hamstring injury.
He returned to the first team on June 4, but hadn’t gotten an RBI before that day, as he’s been in an extreme slump this season.
“I thought I had to make contact and hit an outfield fly to score at least one run, but I think it was a good pitch,” Oh said after the game, adding, “I was so busy running that I didn’t really see it (the pitch deflected off the first baseman’s mitt).”
“I didn’t capitalize on the first two chances, so (the eighth) was something I really wanted to take care of. It felt good,” he said with a smile.
As of the 14th, he’s batting 1-for-18. He’s hit seven home runs, but has a .319 on-base percentage and a .597 OPS. It’s a slump he’s never experienced before, and a career low.
Oh said, “I’m practicing hard. I still have more than 40 games left. I’m not giving up, but I’m preparing through training to make my 스포츠토토 swing.” “It was hard (the injury), but I cleared my mind while rehabbing. It’s hard mentally, but it’s better than the beginning of the season,” he said.
“Even if we don’t play fall ball, our goal is to win one more game until the end. It’s our job to win as best we can,” he said about his goals for the rest of the season.
The team’s mood was also revitalized by the upset win against LG. Oh Jae-il said, “We were down against the No. 1 team, but we turned the game around and held off a late charge. The team seems to be getting better and better. As we win more games, the team’s mood has brightened,” he said.