INCHEON – In a game that saw both seasoned experience and youthful energy deliver, the NC Dinos beat the SSG Landers 7-3 in Game 2 of their first round series in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) postseason. Park Kun-woo and Kim Hyung-jun took on the roles of offensive heroes, propelling the Dinos to a commanding victory at Incheon SSG Landers Field.
According to a new release by Yonhap News Agency, Park went 3-for-5 with two RBIs, while Kim’s key contribution was a solo home run in the eighth inning. Park, 33, and Kim, 23, may have differed in their postseason experiences but both had decisive impacts on the game’s outcome.
Park, who has three Korean Series championship rings and 56 postseason games to his name, contributed with three singles. Kim, participating in his first-ever postseason, belted a crucial home run in the eighth inning, adding to his three postseason home runs in as many games.
Interestingly, Park entered this series with a .208 career batting average in the postseason, contrasting sharply with his lifetime regular season mark of .326, the highest by a right-handed batter in KBO history with at least 3,000 plate appearances. Kim, on the other hand, had only six homers in 26 regular season games this year.
During the game, Kim managed to recover from an earlier mistake. Three innings after botching a bunt attempt that hindered a promising rally, he hit the home run that boosted his team’s morale and score. Kim attributed his composure to his recent stint at the Asian Games in China, stating, “After playing in an international event like that, I am not quite as nervous about these games here as I would have been.”
Park lauded Kim’s performance, saying, “He’s playing on a different level than I am. I went after the same changeup from Moon Seung-won and flied out to right field. And Hyung-jun hit a homer off that pitch.”
The Dinos’ win was set in motion early in the game. Park contributed significantly to a 3-0 lead in the first inning and added a crucial single in the eighth, extending the Dinos’ narrow 4-3 lead to a more comfortable margin.
Park reflected on his role in the game’s outcome, saying, “Someone has to go crazy every game, and I think it was my turn today. As one of the older guys now, I am trying to play with more responsibility and help my teammates along the way.”