‘Multi-hit + 4 RBI for the first time in 16 games’ Captain Oh Ji-hwan ends LG’s 4-game losing streak

LG Twins captain Oh Ji-hwan (33) once again saved his team from a four-game losing streak.

Oh started at shortstop in the No. 7 spot in the lineup against the Kiwoom Heroes of the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League at Gocheok Sky Dome on June 6, going 2-for-4 with a home run, four RBIs and one run scored to lead LG to a 9-1 victory. After snapping a three-game losing streak, second-place LG (33-1, 20-0) remained one game behind first-place SSG Landers (33-1, 18-0).

LG dropped all three games of its home series against the NC Dinos on Feb. 4-5, its second three-game losing streak of the season. LG manager Yeom Kyung-yeop was more disappointed with the strength of the batting lineup than the mound. Before the game against Kiwoom, Yeom said, “When the team was good, Kim Hyun-soo and Oh Ji-hwan played the role of solvers. Kim Hyun-soo, who hasn’t been good lately, will be given about three days to regroup.” “Oh Ji-hwan’s batting may have been affected by physical factors. We placed him in the bottom of the batting order.”

After batting .298 with 14 RBIs in 13 games in April, Oh slumped in May. He hit just .222 with six RBIs in 23 games in May. The slump continued into June, but this day was different.

After grounding out to the second baseman in his first at-bat in the top of the second inning, Oh came up big in the top of the fourth inning with a 1-0 lead. He lined a double up the middle against Kiwoom starter Eric Yokishi. He then scored the team’s fourth run on a sacrifice fly to center field. Rookie Kim Bum-seok recorded his first career RBI. 스포츠토토

In the top of the fifth inning, with the score 4-0, Oh showed off his ability to make accurate contact, dropping a pitch to the right of the left field fence. LG extended its lead to 6-0. For Oh, it was his first multi-hit game in 16 games since March 18 against the Jamsil KT Wiz.

Oh also had a multi-hit game against the Changwon NC on April 2 to end the team’s first four-game losing streak of the season. At the time, LG traveled to Changwon after losing all three games of a home series against the KIA Tigers from April 28-30. In the NC, where the team was facing a four-game losing streak, he hit the game-winning hit in the top of the seventh inning with the score tied at 2-2, leading LG to a 5-3 victory.

Behind Oh’s big day, LG starter Casey Kelly gave up five hits and three walks in five innings against the Kiwoom bats, but held them to one earned run with his excellent command to earn his sixth win of the season (3-3). He lowered his season ERA from 4.24 to 4.07.

After the game, Oh said, “I’ve faced Yokishi a lot and it paid off. I’ve been struggling at the plate lately, but I’ve been thinking that I can contribute in other areas like defense and baserunning. I’m hoping that today will help me get better, and it feels good to be a part of the solution,” he laughed.