It was a day when I went to heaven and hell. Samsung Lions’ foreign hitter Lewin Diaz felt a lot in his first postseason game since his debut in the KBO League.메이저사이트
Diaz started as the fourth batter and first baseman in the first round of the 2024 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League postseason against the LG Twins at Daegu Samsung Lions Park on the 13th, contributing to his team’s 10-4 victory by recording one hit (one home run) and three RBIs and one walk in two at-bats.
He got off to a good start. Diaz appeared on the first and third bases with one out in the bottom of the first inning and hit a sacrifice fly to center field off LG starter Choi Won-tae, bringing third baseman Yoon Jeong-bin home. It was the first time that both teams scored a point.
At his second at-bat in the bottom of the third inning, Diaz made up for his disappointment at his third at-bat. At the bottom of the fifth inning when his team was leading 5-on-1 with one out, he hit a 127 km/h folk ball on five pitches and drew a two-run arch over the right fence. Sensing that it was a home run right after the hit, Diaz slowly turned around the ground in the midst of loud cheers from fans.
However, an unexpected situation occurred in the second half of the game. In the top of the seventh inning, with the bases loaded with two outs, Hong Chang-ki’s ball headed toward the first baseman, and Diaz spilled the ball backward while trying to catch it. Then, third baseman Moon Sung-joo and second baseman Park Hae-min stepped home one after another.
On top of that, Shin Min-jae’s one-run timely hit made the distance between the two teams to a three-run gap. Kim Yoon-soo, who took the mound in relief with two outs and runners on the first and second bases, saved the team from the crisis by striking out Austin Dean, and Diaz breathed a sigh of relief.
Samsung Diaz, with two outs and a full base in the top of the seventh inning, is making a catch error when LG Hong Chang-ki’s infield ground ball in the first game of the “2024 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO Postseason” LG Twins and Samsung Lions at Daegu Samsung Lions Park on the afternoon of the 13th. Expots News DB
“I experienced fall baseball for the first time, and I could feel more energy than the regular season,” Diaz told reporters on Wednesday. “I heard that all the games were already sold out. That’s how much the fans supported me, and I think it was very different from the regular season,” Diaz said. “It’s good to hit a home run, but I’m entering the batter’s box to get on base in such a big game. I don’t think I’ll go to the batter’s box thinking that I’ll continue to hit home runs. As a batter, I’m going to get on base and play baseball that can help my team win and score points.”
He also did not forget to mention his mistake. “I feel sorry for the defense. It was an easy ground ball. I tried hard to overcome it right after the error,” he said. “I was so grateful to Kim. I really don’t want to imagine that if the (pitchers) got hit more and the game went to a tie. When Kim struck out Austin, I said, ‘God, thank you,'” he recalled.
It was my teammates who gave strength to Diaz. “I think that’s what makes our team more special,” Diaz said. “Baseball players can make mistakes once in a while, and every time they do, my teammates say, ‘It’s okay, forget it and play the next game,’ and my team gets stronger,” he said. “Another player can save me, or I can help him shine even more. Even if I made a mistake, it’s more important to forget it quickly and play the next game.”
The coach also gave Diaz a boost. “[Diaz] demonstrated our team’s strengths,” Samsung coach Park Jin-man said after receiving a question about Diaz after the first playoff game. “It was a bit dizzying in the middle, but given his movements, Diaz should continue to play.”
Diaz, who wants to live up to the coach’s belief, said, “I think it is more important to try not to make such a mistake again. The urgent priority is for the team to win right now. I will not make mistakes and help the team.”