"I'm hanging in there thanks to Austin." It's not lip service. 60% of August home runs, 27% RBI from the 'Bok Puddle' bat...
Aug 26, 2024
|
|
|
The LG Twins were pushed out of the race for first place as their performance fell in August, when they saw it as a match-winner, and lost the second place to the Samsung Lions and fell to third place.
Too bad for both of them. However, the poor batting performance is painful. In August, the team hit rate was only 267, ranking eighth overall.
The top lineup is good. Hong Chang-ki's batting average is 270, but he has a good on-base percentage of 413 while Shin Min-jae is also on-base with a batting average of 311 and an on-base percentage of 402.
On top of that, Austin is sweeping an RBI in the third batting order. Austin, who is batting .350 (28 hits in 80 at-bats) in August, had nine home runs and 29 RBIs.
Home runs account for 60% of the team's 15 hits in August, and RBIs are 27% of the team's 106 RBIs. As such, the scoring ability is concentrated in Austin.
No. 4 Moon Bo-kyung also supported LG with a batting average of 329 (28 hits in 85 at-bats) with two homers and 16 RBIs.
Austin recorded 30 home runs and 100 RBIs for the first time in LG's history due to his strong performance in August, and is ranking first in RBIs with 111 RBIs of the season, so he is also looking at the first RBI king in LG's history.
LG manager Yeom Kyung-yeop also praised Austin's performance. Yeom expressed his importance in his team, saying, `Thanks to Austin, I am holding out.'
Manager Yeom said "Austin will have the lowest strikeout rate among hitters with more than 30 home runs."There are a lot of home runs that hit breaking balls. The ability to hold a slider, good timing.
In fact, Austin struck out fewer than other home run hitters. NC Matt Davidson, who ranks first in home runs with 37 home runs, struck out 117 and KIA Kim Do-young also hit 32 home runs, recording 100 strikeouts. SSG Choi Jeong-do had 32 homers and 97 strikeouts. Austin, who hit 30 home runs, struck out only 73. Doosan Yang Seok-hwan, who hit 28, scored 115 and KT Mel Rojas Jr. 97, KT Kang Baek-ho hit 25 home runs and struck out 112 and Samsung Kim Young-woong also struck out 144 on 25 home runs.
Among LG's winning members, only Austin and Shin Min-jae have better performances than last year. Austin has already surpassed the 23 home runs and 95 RBIs he hit last year. If the upturn in August continues to the end of the season, Roberto Ramos can also challenge 38 home runs, the most in a single LG season in 2021.
LG's batters, who led the team to last year's championship, are supporting LG's difficult lineup this season. This is LG's best hitter of all time.
indyk@sportschosun.com
