Lotte won 12-9 at home against the Hanwha Eagles in the 2024 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League at Sajik Baseball Stadium in Busan at 2 p.m. on the 14th.
It was a fierce battle. Starting pitcher Charlie Barnes allowed two runs in six innings, but suffered in the second half of the game due to the bullpen's unstable performance. Fortunately, the team won the game thanks to the stellar performance of its batters.
Yoon Dong-hee, the first batter and center fielder, played a 100% leadoff role with two hits (one home run) in four at-bats, one walk, two RBIs, two runs and one strikeout.
As a leadoff hitter in the bottom of the first inning, Yoon pulled on a 137 kilometer-per-hour cutter that was close to Lee Sang-gyu's body, and hit a 110 meter home run. It was Yoon's 13th homer of the season.
Yoon drew a walk at his second at-bat. He then committed two misfires, but hit a triple in his last at-bat to complete a multi-hitter.
In an interview after the game, Yoon said, "I took a day off from pre-match training due to lack of physical strength. I took a break without training on the day, so I saved a lot of physical strength. I think this part came out during the game."
Regarding the home run situation, he explained, "I remember hitting it a few times in the previous game. I tried to look closer because fastballs and cutters are good pitchers."
Following last year, Yoon has been active as a regular starting player this year. "Last year, we had some periods when we missed out on the Asian Games, so it's not right to say it's full time," he said. "I think this year is really full time. But physical strength is really important. You have to eat well and rest well. But it's not going well because the weather is hot. I think he's going through ups and downs, but overcoming it is an experience. We can overcome similar situations next year if we do well now."
Currently, Lotte is continuing its bid to advance to the top five teams with a faint hope. "Players think it is best to win every game if they have any chance of winning. They talk a lot so that Jun-woo and Jung-hoon can play with a better mind before the game. After hearing that, I think 'how can I win?' before the game," Yoon said. 안전놀이터
"We are human, so if we lose, it will be hard and sad. The atmosphere will be gloomy. Whenever he does that, he would say, 'It's okay, why are you down, we can do it tomorrow'. I was able to recover after hearing that, so I was able to win today's game (14th)."
Asked about his remaining goals for the upcoming season, Yoon said, "I think I need to do well. Baseball is a team sport, but individual players have to be good enough to have runners and hit RBIs. If we focus on what we can do, we will be able to win."
