“It’s not going to happen”
LG Twins’ Oh Ji-hwan started at shortstop and batted fifth in the lineup against the KT Wiz in Game 4 of the Korean Series (KS) of the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League postseason at KT Wiz Park in Suwon, South Korea, and went 2-for-3 with a double (one home run), four RBI, three runs scored, and two walks.
Every player in the batting order performed well, and while the game was one-sided with Kim Yoon-sik on the mound, allowing just one run (one earned) in 5⅓ innings, it was Oh Ji-hwan’s performance that stood out. His batting streak, which started in the second game, seemed to have reached its peak.
In the first inning, Oh drew a walk to start the game. However, he was unable to capitalize on his early success, as he was hit by a pitch and then grounded out to the second baseman in his second at-bat of the fourth inning. It was in the middle of the game that Oh’s presence began to explode. In his third at-bat of the sixth inning, he hit a foul ball and then drew a walk to give his team a chance, scoring on Moon Bo-kyung’s two-run single. That was just the beginning.
Oh exploded in the fourth inning. With runners on first and third in the top of the seventh inning with a 6-1 lead, Oh swung wildly at a changeup from KT pitcher Joo Jae-hyun that landed low and away from his body. Although it was not a live pitch, the ball hit the “sweet spot” of Oh’s bat, sailing over the right field fence for a game-winning three-run homer. With this home run, Oh cemented his place in KBO history.
Only Kim “Cannon” Jae-hyun (then of the SK Wyverns) has ever hit a home run in three consecutive games in the Korean Series, and he joins him in that distinction. In particular, while Kim Jae-hyun’s record took two seasons to set, Oh succeeded in creating a “first” in a single season. 보스토토 도메인
In addition, Oh stayed on base even when most of the starters were replaced, and in the top of the eighth inning, he had another RBI single to go along with his four RBIs, helping LG to a 15-4 victory in Game 4. The win gives LG a three-game lead in Game 4 of the Korean Series, securing 93% (13 of 14) of the wins that championship teams have made, and putting them just one win away from their first title in 29 years since 1994.