Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Choi Ji-man (32) regained his senses with his punching power.
On the 27th (Korean time), Choi Ji-man started as the 4th hitter and first baseman in the ‘2023 Major League Baseball’ match against the San Diego Padres held at Petco Park in San Diego, California, USA.온라인바카라
On this day, Choi Ji-man showed off his dignity as a senior in front of his big league junior Kim Ha-seong (28, San Diego). In the beginning of the second inning, when the game was tied at 0-0, he became the lead batter and attacked Seth Lugo’s sinker. The ball flew 384 feet (about 117 m) at a speed of 101.7 miles (about 163.6 km) at a launch angle of 26 degrees and became a solo gun (season 6) that crossed the right wall.
He retired with a swing strikeout after one shot in the top of the fourth inning, his second at-bat. In the top of the 7th inning, he hit a big ball as the lead hitter, but his long hit was stolen by opponent right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr.’s rain. In the last at-bat, in the top of the 9th inning, with no runners, after a full count match, the third baseman stopped at a ground ball. His final performance was 4 at-bats (1 home run), 1 RBI, and 1 run, which contributed to the team’s 3-2 victory. The batting average for the season rose slightly from 0.183 to 0.188.
This season, Choi Ji-man had difficulty playing the season normally, such as being on the 60-day injured list (IL) due to a sprained Achilles tendon. After his return, due to the platoon system, the days when left-handed pitchers appeared were excluded from the starting list.
It is obviously not constant and there are few opportunities to participate, but Choi Ji-man is doing his part enough. In 20 games, he has a batting average of 0.188 (12-for-64), 6 homers, 10 RBIs, and an OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) of 0.709. He has a low batting average and on-base percentage, but is posting a .500 slugging percentage. Out of the 12 hits he hit this season, he hit 8 long hits, including 6 home runs, and is showing off his punching power.
In particular, it is encouraging that he quickly recovered his condition after returning from injury. His monthly performance in July was 0.250 batting average (8 hits in 32 at-bats), 4 home runs, 8 RBIs, and an OPS of 0.942, and he is slowly getting back on track.
In an interview with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette after the game, Choi Ji-man said, “It was a victory that our team desperately needed.”
He went on to add, “I’m happy to be able to make the fans happy with a home run. The season is long, there are many games left. We have to keep winning.”
Local reporters showed curiosity about Choi Ji-man’s burning feeling of hitting. When asked about “the reason for the rapid increase in power” to Choi Ji-man, he said, “If I knew that (the secret to the rapid increase in hitting power), I would have become a god”, raising the atmosphere with his characteristic knock-off.
Meanwhile, Pittsburgh has a record of 45 wins and 57 losses this season. The difference between the third place in the wild card (Cincinnati Reds, 56-48), which is the final line for advancing to the postseason, is ’10’. It certainly doesn’t look easy, but if Choi Ji-man’s long hits continue to explode, the team can also dream of a rebound.