'The two points are all from his feet...' I played LG-like baseball alone. 3 runs, 2 steals, 1 point. 'Fostering player → pinch runner → second base main player' Shinhwa continues

Oct 06, 2024

Shin Min-jae, who scored during the first game of the semi-playoff between KT and LG at Jamsil Baseball Stadium on the 5th, and LG Austin's RBI timely hit with one out and second base in the bottom of the fourth inning, is welcomed by manager Yeom Kyung-yeop. Jamsil = Reporter Heo Sang-wook wook@sportschosun.com /2024.10.05/

A semi-playoff game between the LG Twins and the KT Wiz at Jamsil Stadium on the 5th. LG Shin Min-jae is hitting a hit with one out in the bottom of the fourth inning. Jamsil = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2024.10.05/

A semi-playoff game between the LG Twins and the KT Wiz at Jamsil Stadium on the 5th. LG Shin Min-jae is stealing second base in the bottom of the fourth inning with one out and runners on first base. Jamsil = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2024.10.05/

LG Twins was frustrated. 2-3 defeat in the first round of the semi-playoff. One point out of the two points was Austin's timely hit, and one point was a lucky score obtained by KT catcher Jang Sung-woo's throwing mistake. In the end, LG only scored one point with the bat.

When LG had a short training camp in Icheon to prepare for the semi-PO after the regular season, LG worked hard on hitting. Unlike the usual time, even when the main players were training to hit, they were asked to do batting cages in three places, not one. By hitting a lot, he maintained and raised his hitting sense. However, in the first round of the semi-PO, no results of such efforts were found.

Still, there was a batter who stood out. Number two was Shin Minjae. Two of the five hits the team recorded were from Shin Min-jae. On this day, he gave the team a chance to score with three on-base hits, one walk, two steals, and one run in three at-bats.

It was Shin Min-jae who recorded his first on-base hit from KT starter Ko Young-pyo, who hit all 10 LG batters until the lead Hong Chang-ki in the bottom of the fourth inning. In the unfavorable count of 1B2S, he hit a changeup that dropped for the fifth time, and second baseman Oh Yoon-seok ran to the end, but it became a right-handed hit that he couldn't catch.

And he stole second base in Austin's third at-bat. Jang Sung-woo didn't even throw the ball to second base. He decided that he couldn't get out even if he threw it accurately because he started so fast. And when Austin hit left-handed, he homered and scored LG's first goal of the 2024 postseason.

A semi-playoff game between the LG Twins and the KT Wiz at Jamsil Stadium on the 5th. In the bottom of the sixth inning, LG Shin Min-jae steals second base with one out and runners on the first and third bases. Jamsil = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2024.10.05/

LG Shin Min-jae is hitting in the first round of the semi-playoff between KT and LG at Jamsil Baseball Stadium on the 5th. Jamsil = Reporter Heo Sang-wook wook@sportschosun.com /2024.10.05/

In the first round of the semi-playoff between KT and LG at Jamsil Baseball Stadium on the 5th, KT So Hyung-joon catches LG Shin Min-jae's ball and throws it to first base in the bottom of the 8th inning. Shin Min-jae was safe at first base and had an infield hit. Jamsil = Reporter Heo Sang-wook wook@sportschosun.com /2024.10.05/

He also played a crucial role in his team's score in the bottom of the sixth inning, trailing 1-3. Shin Min-jae, who took the batter's box at second base with no outs with a double by the leader Hong Chang-ki on the left-field line, picked out the ball well and drew a walk from KT Kim Min-soo. Austin's fly to right field made it to first and third base with one out, and No. 4 Moon Bo-kyung's at-bat. When the third slider came on a strike in 1B1S, Shin Min-jae ran to second base. And catcher Jang Sung-woo vigorously threw it to second base. However, neither shortstop Shim Woo-joon nor second baseman Oh Yoon-seok were at second base. Shim Woo-joon ran to the front of second base to cut, and Oh Yoon-seok slowly went to second base. Shim Woo-joon cut it in the middle in preparation for third baseman Hong Chang-ki's home dash, but Jang Sung-woo mistook it and threw it hard toward second base.

Jang Sung-woo's instinct to win may have been triggered by Shin Min-jae's powerful run. Jang Sung-woo's throw flew past second base to center field, and Hong Chang-ki homered to make it 2-3. Shin Min-jae settled to third base and became a tie chance. Unfortunately, the tie failed because the follow-up hit did not occur.

In the top of the eighth inning, Shin Min-jae also got on base with an infield hit in front of the pitcher against Cho Hyung-joon. The missed ball fell between the catcher and the pitcher, and Shin Min-jae's foot stepped on the first base first when the ball that So Hyung-joon caught and threw arrived at first base. Unfortunately, Austin only grounded out in front of the shortstop, and another scoring situation was not made.

LG lost unfortunately, but Shin Min-jae's three on-base hits and two stolen bases made KT's defense nervous and produced two points for his team. He was the only batter who played LG-like baseball.

indyk@sportschosun.com