"Even if you lose, this is not it" How did the miracle happen, the home run that turned the literature upside down

Aug 01, 2024

The match between SSG and Lotte at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 31st. Oh Tae-gon hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the 12th inning. Incheon = Song Jeong-heon Reporter's songs@sportschosun.com/2024.07.31/

"Even if you lose, this is not it. Let's die with my swing through the end."

Oh Tae-gon turned Landersfield upside down. SSG Landers won a miraculous come-from-behind victory against the Lotte Giants in Incheon on July 31 with Oh Tae-gon's walk-off two-run home run in the bottom of the 12th inning. It was a great close game. SSG, which was dragged 5-10 until the top of the ninth inning, tied the score 10-10 with Guillermo Herredia's tiebreaking three-run home run following a concentrated hit in the bottom of the fifth inning and brought down Lotte closer Kim Won-joong.

the ensuing overtime. He allowed one run in the top of the 12th inning, but took advantage of his chance in the bottom of the 12th inning. Kim Min-sik, who was bunt-motioning with no outs and runners on the first and second bases, converted to a strong ball, which was a double out as the runner on the second base was out due to a straight hit by the pitcher.

Two outs and a runner on first base. Oh Tae-gon's shot burst when the chance seemed to be eliminated. Oh Tae-gon perfectly rolled up Hyun Do-hoon's slider and connected it with a walk-off two-run home run over the left-center fence. It was an unbelievable game. It was Oh's third walk-off home run.

Oh Tae-gon hit a walk-off home run against Lotte on July 31. Photo = Reporter Na Yuri

After the game, Oh Tae-gon said of the finishing situation "Honestly, I think it would have been a little burdensome if Min-sik sent it and reached the second and third bases. Or maybe he could skip me. (Double out) I also thought that I lost now. But I wanted to do this once. Now that my at-bat came, I really wanted to walk (pitching). "I had a desire to walk once, so I just thought about setting the timing in advance and swinging in front of me..." he said. "I swung and missed with an ambiguous swing at 2S. I regret it so much in that short moment. Even if I lose, I don't think this is right. Even if I die, I thought, "Let's do my swing to the end and die." That led to a home run."

"Actually, I still don't know what ball I hit. Oh Tae-gon, who recalled the situation at the time saying, `I don't even remember,' knew the moment the batting hit. He was watching the ball without running. It was so good. I've never hit a walk-off home run a few times, but I think today is the best day for me."

Oh Tae-gon left on the 28th of last month due to a microfracture of his right toe, but when Ko Myung-joon fell out due to a hamstring injury, he came up to the first team a little faster than expected. It was time for Oh Tae-gon to be able to defend both inside and outside. Director Lee Sung-yong said, `I'm sorry I didn't give you enough time to recover.' However, since returning to the first team on July 25, Oh Tae-gon has been showing a hot batting sense with seven hits in 18 at-bats, two home runs and a batting average of 389. He added "Maybe because he rested well, but he gained weight, and when he rested, he did weight training steadily. As a result, it seems that the power has been accumulated and is getting better. The director says he's sorry, but isn't he paying me to do this. He expressed a strong sense of responsibility, saying, "I think I should do it because I'm a senior."

A match between SSG and KIA at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 12th. The batting SSG Oh Tae-gon. Incheon = Song Jeong-heon Reporter's songs@sportschosun.com/2024.06.12/

Club officials and coaching staff are always grateful to Oh Tae-gon. A good-natured player who doesn't mind any position or any mischievous things. It's a compliment to Oh Tae-gon. He said "I don't think I'm satisfied with my position. Honestly, I'll do something if it's a solid nine weeks before, but I have a lot of days off. At least, he plays three innings in the seventh to ninth innings. It's the fourth outfielder and the fifth outfielder. However, I have my own pride that when the main players are out and I enter the position, the player who went out plays without being seen. I play with such pride, and I would appreciate it if coaches or front office thought that way."

When Oh Tae-gon's miraculous walk-off home run hit, all the players on the SSG bench poured onto the ground and were happy. It was a scene that explained the team atmosphere of SSG, which has recently been on the rise and is seeking to enter the top ranks again. "Honestly, the atmosphere was completely on our side today, and it was a game where we lost even if we drew. I thought if I lost after doing this, the mood would be bad tomorrow, but I'm so happy to be able to upload it again. Our team has only 44 games left. I think I can go up to the second place. Of course, it's going to be hard, but I think I should do my best to win every series"I'm determined.

youll@sportschosun.com

"Even if you lose, this is not it" How did the miracle happen, the home run that turned the literature upside down

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