“I think my stake (in the team’s victory) was about 2% today.”
Kwon Hee-dong, who led the NC Dinos’ comeback to fourth place.
NC won 7-3 against the LG Twins in the 2023 KBO on Wednesday at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul. The win, which secured a three-game series sweep and gave NC a two-game winning streak, gave them 25 points and moved them into fourth place, ahead of the Doosan Bears (24 points and one tie), who lost 3-13 to the KT Wiz the same day.
Kwon Hee-dong, who started in left field and batted fifth, led the NC offense with five hits, including the game-winner, two doubles, one home run and one RBI.
After a grounder to shortstop in the top of the first inning, Kwon’s bat came alive in the top of the fourth inning when the teams were tied at 2-2. He drove a three-pitch 140.2 mph fastball from opposing starter Im Chan-kyu for a solo arch that just cleared the left field fence. It was Kwon’s first home run of the season. The launch angle was 33.3 degrees and the ball traveled 162.5 kilometers with a distance of 122.1 meters.
Kwon’s home run sparked NC to a five-run inning, which included Son Asub’s RBI double to right and Seo Ho-cheol’s three-run blast to left to seal the victory.
Kwon continued his hot hitting with a single to right in the top of the fifth, followed by a fly to center field in the top of the seventh and a straight hit to third base in the top of the ninth.
After the game, Kwon said, “The wind was blowing toward the outfield today, so I think (my balls) went far. “I didn’t think I was going to hit a home run. I was the leadoff hitter, so I went into the batter’s box with the mindset of trying to get to first base and create a chance, and I think my confident swing led to a good outcome,” he said.
Kwon, who made his professional debut in the NC uniform in 2013, entered the free agency market after the end of last season, but did not find a team easily. Fortunately, he reunited with NC on February 27 and made his first appearance with the first team on February 9 after making his debut in the Futures (second team) league earlier in the season. On the same day, he hit his first home run of the season, contributing to NC’s victory.
Kwon said, “Home runs don’t come from trying to hit them. I think I had a good result because I did the things I could do, such as hitting a hit when I had a chance and going out on a bunt when I was the leadoff hitter and connecting (chances),” Kwon said with a bright smile.
Kwon was silent for three consecutive games last month, from the Changwon Hanwha Eagles on the 27th to the Changwon Doosan Bears on the 31st. However, after exploding for two hits against LG in Jamsil the day before, he showed off his highly sensitive batting touch again today.
In response, Kwon Hee-dong said, “Nothing has changed. (When I didn’t hit), the pitches were all good, and it was hard to connect with them 스포츠토토 because they were well thrown,” he said. “This time, I made more mistakes than I thought, so I hit balls that were driven to the center, and I think it paid off.”
He continued, “I haven’t been bad lately. I wasn’t bad in the midweek Doosan series either, I just didn’t get any hits. Still, I think I did a good job by getting on base with walks.”
NC, which was not rated as a powerhouse during the offseason, has been cruising, defying expectations. At one point early in the season, they were in contention for the title, and their current record is 25-23, including this game. What is the secret to NC’s success?
Kwon Hee-dong said, “In the case of yesterday’s game (against LG Electronics in Jamsil), (Choi) Sung-young pitched well (after starting pitcher Koo Chang-mo went down with an injury). “But if you look at our batting lineup, we have hitters with a combined batting average of more than 3, and we have a stable starting lineup. (Plus) the younger players are working hard, so I think it’s a synergy (effect).”
Kwon Hee-dong says he has no stake in NC’s rise. When asked how much of a stake he had in the victory, he smiled cheerfully and said, “I think it was about 2% today.”