It was very unusual. LG manager Yeom Kyung-yeop revealed the starting lineup early on in the process of preparing for the Korean Series. He unveiled the best 9 from No. 1 Hong Chang-ki right wing to No. 9 Shin Min-jae second baseman and started the Cheongbaek match. 사설토토

But at least one place, there was room for change. Coach Yeom prioritized Oh Ji-hwan shortstop in the fifth batting order between No. 3 Kim Hyun-soo designated hitter and No. 4 Austin Dean first baseman, but left open the possibility of exchanging batting order with Moon Bo-kyung third baseman in some cases. This means that he will complete the central batting line by looking at the batting performance of the two players in the preparation process. As a result, Yeom’s choice was ‘Plan A’.

At that time, it would have been difficult for anyone to guess whether LG would be the golden key of the Korean series in No. 5 Oh Ji-hwan. With Oh Ji-hwan’s home run in three consecutive games in the Korean Series since Game 2 in Jamsil on the 7th, LG is completing its 29-year Korean War since 1994.

Oh Ji-hwan has a batting average of 0.400 6 hits in 15 at-bats with three home runs and eight RBIs and three walks until Game 4 of this series. Oh Ji-hwan has already established himself as a top in the entire league as a shortstop. Before his name, he is automatically given the modifier interceptor. If anyone is Oh Ji-hwan, I recall him standing in the shortstop position.

However, in recent years, the relationship between No. 5 batting order and Oh Ji-hwan” has deepened. It was last year that Oh Ji-hwan maximized his value as the fifth batter. Oh Ji-hwan, who often had changes in the batting order, including being appointed as the second batter, began to shine brightly as the fifth batter, the last troubleshooter of the center lineup.

In 2021, Oh Ji-hwan played almost half as a second and fifth batter, but last year, he played 103 games as a fifth batter only. Above all, he hit 17 home runs in the fifth batting order and hit a heavy batting average with an OPS of 0.848. It is not easy to protrude an objective answer to the question “why” over the change in grades that appears in each batting order. However, it has been a patterned phenomenon as a result that Oh Ji-hwan’s performance will be improved a little more as the fifth batter.

Perhaps it is the result of a wider field of view as years are accumulated. The fifth batting order is one of the final challenges that can turn the tide for the opponent’s battery. Considering the pressure of the fifth batter, he will also set the direction of the match with the third and fourth batters. In the eyes of the fifth batter, you can also read the movement of the opponent’s battery while passing the third and fourth batting order.

Game 3 of Suwon on the 10th. KT closer Kim Jae-yoon pitched in the ninth inning with a 7-5 lead and threw 11 straight fastballs. With two outs and runners on first base, Austin and ball count 1-2 Kim Jae-yoon threw three sliders in a row when his fastballs were fouled, but all of them became balls and walked. Oh Ji-hwan, who then came out, let the first forkball slip and turned it 100% into his swing when the fastball that would fly at least once came to the center of the second pitch. At least until Game 4, the best scene came from LG’s fifth batting order.