KIA Tigers standout star Lee Woo-sung (29) was forced off by a double play by the shortstop with one out and bases loaded in the bottom of the 4th inning against the Gwangju Lotte Giants on the 12th, leading 5-4. In the bottom of the 3rd inning, he had already hit a 2-RBI double to right-center to play his role as the 5th center hitter.
However, Lee Woo-sung said, “I apologized to the team for hitting a double play. This time, I waited for Socrates to steal a base. Our hearts were in sync. He absolutely wanted to hit. “Yesterday (against Gwangju Kiwoom on the 11th), he also had no hits in 5 at-bats.” The situation he was talking about was the bottom of the 7th inning when the score was tied 5-5. With one out and one on first base, he endured the first pitch curve, and in the meantime, Socrates, the runner on first base, was in scoring position.
Lee Woo-seong could not miss this opportunity. If we missed this game, the game against Doosan in Jamsil on the 13th would be meaningless. In the end, Lee Woo-sung lightly pulled the curve at a full count against Choi Jun-yong and pulled off a timely hit with one RBI in the final. 2 hits and 3 RBIs in 4 at-bats. In this way, KIA maintained a 2-game gap with Doosan, and continued its hopes of finishing in 5th place in a great comeback.
This game seemed to summarize Lee Woo-sung's entire season. That's how much nutritional value Lee Woo-sung has this season. In 123 games this season, he had 105 hits in 344 at-bats, a batting average of 0.305, 8 home runs, 55 RBIs, 39 runs, an OPS of 0.791, and a batting average of 0.313. He is the leader in filling the void left by Choi Hyeong-woo and Na Seong-beom, who ended their season due to injury.
Lee Woo-sung said, “You must not miss the opportunity to score. He pulled himself together and tried to hit an outfield fly. In the past, I thought a lot about scoring points, and the results were not good. However, as the manager trusted me and I continued to bat, the tension and anxiety disappeared. “I felt at ease,” he said.
This is his first full-time starting role since his debut. He served as a backup for a while after establishing a full batting lineup, but he was so used to the life of a backup that it was not difficult for him to maintain his batting skills. He is hitting the most consistently this season, and commentators are receiving favorable reviews that his batting posture is in place.
It was the first time since his debut that he had 100 hits in a season, and he received many congratulations and coffee shots around him. He received help from his wife and also expressed his gratitude to his teammates. Lee Woo-seong said, “I received so many congratulations that I gave away coffee. His wife is a realistic person, so she speaks strongly and realistically at times. “He even tells me to come to my senses.”
Although he is out due to injury, I am also grateful to Choi Hyeong-woo and I, Seong-beom, who are still with the players. Woo-seong Lee said, “Seong-beom asks a lot of questions to his brother. He speaks well. “Senior Hyungwoo said, “When I don’t feel like hitting, he jokes around and helps me out.”
Yang Hyeon-jong, captain Kim Sun-bin, Na Seong-beom, Choi Hyeong-woo, Park Chan-ho, etc. give encouragement and encouragement before and after the game, shouting out that he is a 'top 5 shooter'. Because of this, Lee Woo-sung, who is in charge of the main hitter, feels a sense of responsibility and cannot help but feel grateful. Although it is difficult, KIA is expecting a miracle, and dreams of actually winning all the remaining games and taking 5th place.
Now it’s the Doosan game in Jamsil on the 13th. This is the most important game of the season. If you win here, you will challenge for 5th place until the end, and if you lose, you will be eliminated from the top 5. Lee Woo-seong said, “It’s a match against my own family, but I don’t really think about it like that. “I will remain calm and do my part,” he said. Although KIA has a severe power leak, it is still holding on and moving forward little by little because it has a chronic star.