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Ohtani responds to home team hospitality with a smile

Shohei Ohtani had nothing to smile about when he was told of his involvement in Ippei Mizuhara's illegal gambling, acting as his translator and personal manager. But the hospitality of the family team made him smile. PitchClock also paused for a moment to take in the hospitality of Otani's family. Ohtani started as the No. 2 designated hitter in the "Freeway Series" against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Angels Stadium in Anaheim, California, on Sunday (July 27). The Angels were the organization that helped Ohtani make his major league debut in 2018 and also gave him the opportunity to try his hand at batting. In his six seasons with the Angels, he was a two-time unanimous MVP (2021, 2023). When Ohtani entered the major leagues, there were many teams in the running for his services, but the Angels made sure he was a two-hitter. The Angels cared, believed in him, and realized his dreams. In 716 career games as a hitter, he batted .248 (681-for-2483) with 171 home runs, 437 RBIs and a .922 OPS, and as a pitcher, he went 38-19 with a 3.01 ERA in 86 games (481⅔ innings). One of the biggest stars in baseball, he became a free agent after last season and was highly sought after, signing a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers, the largest in professional sports history. This is the final tune-up before the regular season begins on May 29 and a regular matchup of Los Angeles-based teams. The first two games were played at Dodger Stadium on Sept. 25 and 26, and today's game was played at Angel Stadium. It was Ohtani's first trip to Angel Stadium since his trade. In the first inning, Ohtani stepped to the plate. Time was called, and the Angels played a tribute video for Ohtani on the scoreboard. The pitch clock was also stopped. Ohtani stepped away from the batter's box for a moment to watch the tribute video and acknowledge the fans. Recently, Ohtani hasn't had much to smile about. He has been involved in an illegal gambling scandal involving his interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, that broke during the opening series in Seoul. While illegal gambling bookie Matthew Boyer is under investigation by federal authorities, numerous deposits were made to Boyer's account in Ohtani's name. The transfers were made to pay off money Mizuhara owed for illegal gambling. Mizuhara owed $4.5 million. After learning of Mizuhara's involvement in illegal gambling during the investigation, ESPN conducted a 90-minute interview with Mizuhara. During the interview, Mizuhara claimed that Ohtani had paid off his debt on his behalf. However, a spokesperson for Ohtani refuted Mizuhara's interview, emphasizing that Ohtani was the victim of a massive theft. Mizuhara also retracted his initial interview. Since then, controversy has raged around Otani. Mizuhara questioned how someone so close to him could secretly transfer large sums of money from his account and emphasized that it was inexplicable that he didn't know about it. Ohtani finally spoke out on April 26. "I didn't realize this was happening until a few days ago," he said, "Itpay stole money from my account and lied to me. I'm personally very sad and shocked that someone I trusted would do something like this," he said, expressing his feelings of betrayal to Mizuhara, adding, "I didn't even know that Ippei had a gambling addiction and was in debt. I never agreed to pay off the debt or pay the bookie," he said, emphasizing that he had nothing to do with the incident. "Ippei asked to speak with me one-on-one at the hotel after the opening game," Otani said. After the game, Ippei addressed the Dodgers in the clubhouse, and he spoke in English, and I didn't have a translator with me. But even in that situation, I had a feeling that something was wrong," he recalls. "Before that meeting, I didn't know that Ippei was addicted to gambling, and when we went back to the hotel and talked one-on-one, I realized that I owed him a huge amount of money. At that point, Ipay admitted that he had used my account to send money to bookies. When I later spoke to my agent, I realized that Ippei had been lying the whole time, so I contacted the Dodgers organization and my lawyer. My lawyer advised me to let the authorities handle the matter because it was a fraud," he explained. However, the general consensus in the local media is that Ohtani is not immune from Mizuhara's illegal gambling case. If Ohtani was unaware of this, Mizuhara could face charges such as falsifying official documents and identity theft. It's also argued that the fact that Ohtani paid the debt on his behalf is itself a violation of federal law. It's been a devastating time for Ohtani, but despite the recent controversy, fans have stood by her. Ohtani's first at-bat at Angel Stadium was greeted with warm applause and cheers. He watched the team's tribute video and responded to the fans' hospitality with a smile. It was a day when Ohtani was all smiles. At the plate, however, his recent emotional turmoil seemed to show. In his first at-bat with the bases loaded in the top of the first inning, Ohtani engaged in a two-pitch, two-strike battle with Chase Ciles, but swung wildly at a 96.1 mph fastball on the sixth pitch for a strikeout. In his second at-bat with the bases loaded in the third, Ohtani struck out. He worked a full count with Silses and swung at a 79.8-mph slider in the sixth. He was then replaced by Miguel Rojas in the top of the sixth inning for his third at-bat of the day. Mizuhara's dismissal came after the conclusion of the opening series in Seoul on Feb. 20, when he was involved in illegal gambling. In the Seoul series, Mizuhara went 2-for-20, 1-for-21, and 3-for-10 with two RBIs. However, as the Mizuhara controversy continued, he went 0-for-6 with a walk and two strikeouts in the Freeway Series on the 25th to close out the exhibition games. Now, Ohtani will make his first appearance at Dodger Stadium on the 29th in the mainland opener against the St. Louis Cardinals. Meanwhile, the game ended in a 3-4 loss for the Dodgers after Ohtani's no-hitter. The Dodgers got three solo home runs from Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, and Gavin Lux. Starter James Paxton allowed three runs on four hits (one homer) with two walks and two strikeouts in five innings. For the Angels, starter Chase Cilses was impressive, allowing two runs on five hits (two homers) with four walks and 10 strikeouts in five innings. [www.cmriindia.org/esports-betting-site/](http://www.cmriindia.org/esports-betting-site/)

Bending the glove, delaying the ball, and making a mistake at the plate

For San Diego Padres pitcher Woo-Seok Ko, who was cut from the major league roster, the final game of the exhibition season was a harsh reminder of what it's like to be cut. Ko was pulled from the game against the Seattle Mariners in the ninth inning with the Padres leading 5-4 at Petco Park in San Diego, California, on Sunday (July 27) after allowing three runs (one earned) on three hits, one walk and one strikeout in ⅔ innings. Go Woo-seok's final exhibition game. After failing to make the major league roster in Seoul's opening series, it was already clear that Go would start the season in the minors. In the five exhibition games leading up to the opening series in Seoul, he had a 12.46 ERA (6 earned runs in 4 1/3 innings), a 3.36 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and a 2.31 WHIP (walks allowed per inning pitched). He even traveled to South Korea for the opening series and pitched in a special match against his hometown team, the LG Twins, for one last look. However, LG didn't help him. Lee Jae-won hit a two-run shot against him. Go Woo-seok gave up two runs in the first inning to earn an embarrassing save. Manager Mike Schildt said after the game, "He would have liked to have done better. But the good news is that he's continuing to improve. We'll continue to think about the roster heading into the opening series against the Dodgers," and said that he was considering whether or not to give him a spot on the opening day roster. In the end, he didn't make the roster for Seoul's opening series against the Los Angeles Dodgers and will start the season in the minors. Still, he was given consideration by the organization. He will start the season in Double-A instead of Triple-A. San Diego's Triple-A team is the El Paso Chihuahuas. They play in the Pacific Coast League, a league of extreme hitters. Most of the ballparks are located at high elevation and are very hitter-friendly. For this reason, Koo started the season in Double-A, a relatively average league, rather than Triple-A. San Diego President of Baseball Operations A.J. Preller said, "He was honest with us that it took him a little longer than usual to get back to full strength. We made a commitment, and we want to make sure we get him right because we want this to be a long term commitment," said San Diego President of Baseball Operations and General Manager A.J. Preller, explaining the decision to keep him off the Opening Day roster. "There was a learning curve for him in 2021, too. In the first year, you have to get used to the major league game style. It's a very talented league." "I think Go Woo-seok is going through that process as well. "I think he's going through that process, and it's time for him to show what he's shown in the KBO on a more consistent basis. He hoped that Go would be able to build up in a more comfortable environment and return to his normal form. On the 27th, he played in his final exhibition game before the regular season opener on the mainland, and the defense made it difficult and brutal for him. Against leadoff hitter Ben Williamson, he worked a one-pitch, two-strike count with a cutter and then induced a swinging strikeout with an 81.2-mph (130.7-kilometer) drop curveball. One inning later, Jake Anchia hit an infield single off the glove of third baseman Graham Foley. It was a strong 99.9 mph (160.8 km/h) fastball, but it could have been sucked into Foley's outstretched glove. Anchia's hit was unavoidable, but Axel Sanchez's subsequent hit left him with a lot to say. The defense didn't help him at all. He worked Axel Sanchez for a full count on nine pitches, and then threw a 93.2-mph (150-kilometer) fastball that was off-timing. It was a slow fly ball between the second baseman and right fielder. But second baseman Nick McClary and right fielder Kai Murphy delayed the throw. What should have been a double play turned into a single and a double play. With runners on first and second, Bill Knight took two strikes and then fired a 93-mph (149.7-kilometer) four-seamer to the second baseman for a double play. Normally, that would have been the end of the inning, but with runners on first and second and two outs, he threw a five-pitch 93.6 mph (150.6 km/h) fastball to RJ Schreck in a two-ball, two-strike game and was hit by a single to right. It tied the game at 5-5. With runners on first and third, he gave up a walk to Brock Roden to load the bases. Still, with two strikes and two outs, he threw an 88.9-mph (143.1-kilometer) cutter to Aiden Smith and induced a grounder to shortstop to end the inning. But shortstop Leodalis de Vries made a throwing error, allowing two runners to reach base. The score was 5-7, and Ko had to leave the mound. His final record in the exhibition games was 5-2 with a 12.60 ERA and a 2.80 WHIP in six games. It was a harsh and unfair set of circumstances that ultimately sent him back to the minors without making a good impression. [www.sportstoto365.com/](http://www.sportstoto365.com/)

'Reserve free agent' Kim Ha-seong ready to open season at shortstop + 3-hole blast

San Diego Padres infielder Ha-seong Kim has completed his exhibition schedule. He went 1-for-2 with a walk and an RBI against the Seattle Mariners on Sunday at Petco Park in San Diego, California, USA. Kim drew his first walk of the game in the first inning after falling behind 0-2 when Xander Bogaerts doubled and Jake Cronenweth singled to load the bases. Cronenwirth lined a single to left off Seattle starter Casey Lawrence. Xander Bogaerts followed with a single to center. After leading off the fourth inning with a single and grounding out to third base, Kim was replaced by Leodalis De Vries to start the fifth inning. After batting just 2-for-4 with a home run, four RBIs, six runs scored and three stolen bases in 29 at-bats in last year's exhibition games, Kim finished the exhibition schedule with a 3-for-2 record with a home run, six RBIs, four runs scored and three stolen bases in 31 at-bats. Kim made the defensive switch from shortstop to second base last year and established himself as an irreplaceable resource for San Diego. As the primary leadoff hitter, he completed a career-high season in 152 games, batting .749 with 17 home runs, 60 RBI, 84 runs scored, 38 doubles, and an OPS of .749, most notably becoming the first Asian player to reach 20 home runs and 40 doubles. Kim's solid defense earned him National League Gold Glove finalist honors at second base and utility for the second straight year, and he became the first Korean and second Asian to win a Gold Glove in the utility category. The first Asian was Japanese Ichiro Suzuki, who won 10 consecutive Gold Gloves as an outfielder with the Seattle Mariners from 2001-2010. Kim, now a free agent after a long and arduous journey, pushed superstar Xander Bogaerts out of the way this season to reclaim his primary position at shortstop. He showed off his hot bat in exhibition games, and it was a sign of things to come this season. On April 26, Fry's on Base, a fan publication that covers San Diego news, published an article titled "Kim's Future Destination Could Be a Nightmare for the Padres. "While San Diego fans would prefer to focus on this season, the harsh reality is that one of their best players may not be on the roster this time next year. Kim's contract for next season is not guaranteed," he continued. "If the Padres are unable to agree to a long-term deal with Ha-Sung Kim, there will be several teams interested in him. Unfortunately, there are teams in need of shortstop reinforcements, and it would be a San Diego fan's worst nightmare if Kim ends up going to a team that needs a shortstop." "Sorry to break it to San Diego fans, but Kim could sign with the LA Dodgers next season. While we would absolutely hate to see Kim sign with San Diego's biggest rival, the team is not in a position to sign him to a long-term contract. The Dodgers, on the other hand, can afford to throw millions of dollars at the top free agents," he said, adding that a move to the Dodgers is likely. [www.mttotosite.com/](http://www.mttotosite.com/)

'Crazy performance' in exhibition game sends Park to Triple-A in shock

Shocker. Park Hyo-joon failed to make the Major League Baseball opening roster. 'Athletics Nation,' the Oakland local version of American media outlet 'SB Nation,' reported the news of Oakland's opening roster on the 27th (Korean time). The A's will play their final exhibition game against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park in San Francisco, California. Ahead of the game, manager Mark Katsay mentioned Park Hyo-joon. The media outlet first reported that the fifth starter was confirmed as Joe Boyle. Then, based on a social media post by local journalist Jessica Kleinschmidt, it was reported that Park had been sent to Triple-A. The headline of the article was Boyle named to the five-man roster and Park dropped from the roster. This was the story that most interested Oakland fans. Shocking. One of the best performers in all 30 major league clubs in exhibition games has been cut from the big leagues. Park was released by the Atlanta Braves at the end of last season. He chose Oakland as a last-ditch effort. He signed a minor league contract with the A's last season when his chances of breaking into the big leagues were dwindling. He joined Arizona's spring training as an invitee. Then came the big break. He took off in the exhibition games. In 17 games, he batted a whopping 4-for-8. 21 hits in 43 at-bats. A pinch-hit single against San Francisco on the 26th wiped out his 5-for-5 average, but he was the player with the most hits and the highest batting average in both leagues. He struck out just once. It was a stellar performance that earned him a spot on the 26-man opening roster. Park's performance, coupled with injuries to competing position players, made his chances even better. Local media in the U.S. also started to put Park on the 26-man roster. It is said that it is a miracle for a spring training invitee to make the major league roster, and Park seemed to be pulling off a miracle. However, reports surfaced in the U.S. that Darrell Hernandez, a lesser prospect than Park, had been named to the opening day roster, raising concerns. And those fears were realized. Athletics Nation predicted that if there were any injuries among the outfielders, Park would be called up to the major leagues immediately. However, it must be frustrating for a player who has shown his best to not get the opportunity. Park has been an inspiration off the field as well, always shouting out in the dugout to keep his teammates' morale up. [www.casinositekim.com/](http://www.casinositekim.com/)

Woo-Seok Koh fails to hold a 1-run lead, gives up 3 runs in ⅔ inning

San Diego Padres pitcher Woo-seok Ko has had another meltdown. He allowed three runs on three hits with one walk and one strikeout in ⅔ of an inning in an exhibition game against the Seattle Mariners at Petco Park in San Diego, California, on Sunday. Taking the mound in the ninth inning with a 5-4 lead, Gausman struck out the first batter he faced, Ben Williamson, on a wild pitch, but gave up back-to-back singles to Jake Anchia and Axel Sanchez to put runners on first and second. He got Bill Knight to ground out to second, but gave up a single to right to R.J. Schreck to tie the game. After giving up a walk to Brock Roden to load the bases, Gausman induced Aidan Smith to ground into an infield single, but shortstop Leodalys de Vries made a bad throw to first base to put two runners on base. The San Diego bench sent Mitch Miller to the mound in place of Koo-Seok. The Padres got one run back in the bottom of the ninth, but couldn't get anything dramatic going and fell 6-7. With his second loss, Ko's ERA rose from 12.46 to 12.60 in exhibition games. Meanwhile, Kim Ha-seong, who started at shortstop in the No. 5 spot, went 1-for-2 with a walk and an RBI. Kim drew his first walk in the first inning after falling behind 0-2 when Xander Bogaerts doubled and Jake Cronenweth singled to load the bases with one out. Cronenwirth lined a single to left off Seattle starter Casey Lawrence. Xander Bogaerts followed with a single to center. After leading off the fourth inning with a single and grounding out to third base, Kim was replaced by Leodalys de Vries to start the fifth inning. After going 1-for-2 with a walk and an RBI, Kim improved his batting average in the exhibition game from 3-for-1 to 3-for-2.3. [www.casinositenet.com/](http://www.casinositenet.com/)

Hot-hitting Lee Jung-hoo acknowledges his 236th

San Diego Padres Yuki Matsui (29) was impressed with the performance of San Francisco Giants' Lee Jung-hoo (26). Lee went 1-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout in his first Major League Baseball spring training exhibition game at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, California, USA, on April 26 (local time). His hitting streak came to an unfortunate halt after three games, but he is still hitting over .300 in exhibition play. Lee joined Nexen (now Kiwoom) as the first overall pick in the 2017 rookie draft and has been one of the best hitters in the KBO, batting .344 (3476-for-1181) with 65 home runs, 515 RBIs and an OPS of .898 in 884 games. In his rookie year, he won the Rookie of the Year award after batting .329 (179-for-552) with two home runs, 47 RBI, 111 runs scored, 12 doubles, and an OPS of .812 in 144 games. In 2022, Lee batted .349 (193-for-553) with 23 homers, 113 RBIs and a .996 OPS in 142 games, winning five batting titles (batting average, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, total bases and RBIs) and the league MVP award, and despite an ankle injury that ended his season prematurely last year before he reached the majors, Lee batted .301 (105-for-330) with six homers, 45 RBIs and a .861 OPS in 86 games. 861 in 86 games and signed a six-year, $113 million contract with San Francisco. It is the largest contract ever for a KBO player to reach the major leagues. San Francisco gave Lee Jung-hoo, who hasn't played a single game in the major leagues, a massive contract worth over $100 million. It is the fifth-largest contract in franchise history, behind only Buster Posey (nine years, $167 million), Johnny Cueto (six years, $130 million), Matt Cain (six years, $127.5 million), and Barry Zito (seven years, $126 million). The Giants have high hopes for Lee. Manager Bob Melvin plans to use Lee as the leadoff center fielder this season. In 12 games of exhibition play, Lee is batting hot with a .990 OPS in 32 at-bats (12-for-32) with one home run, five doubles, six RBIs, six runs scored, and two stolen bases. Matsui, a former Nippon Professional Baseball closer who signed a five-year, $28 million (approx. 37.6 billion won) contract with San Diego of the National League West this offseason, also recognized Lee's outstanding skills. Matsui, who has a career record of 501 games (659⅔ innings), 25 wins, 46 losses, 76 saves, and 236 relief appearances with a 2.40 ERA in Nippon Professional Baseball, was dominant in 2021 with a 2-2 record, 24 saves, and a 0.63 ERA in 43 games (43 innings) and a 1.57 ERA in 59 games (57⅓ innings) with 8 saves and 39 relief appearances last year. He realized his dream of making his major league debut by pitching in both games of the 'MLB World Tour Seoul Series 2024 with Coupang Play' against the Los Angeles Dodgers at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on the 20th and 21st. His performance in the Seoul Series was good, with an ERA of 0.00 in two games (1⅓ innings) and one hold. With his dream of making his major league debut already fulfilled, Matsui is looking forward to making his Petco Park debut in a four-game homestand against San Francisco starting on Sept. 29. "I think (Lee) is really good," Matsui said in an interview on Sept. 21. He has really good contact, and he showed very good hitting ability in the WBC. I think he's a really good player," said Matsui, who is looking forward to facing Lee. Matsui, a left-handed pitcher, will likely face Lee, a left-handed hitter. Fans are eager to see how Lee and Matsui will match up in the opening four games between San Diego and San Francisco. [www.safetotosite.pro/](http://www.safetotosite.pro/)

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Hustle, not bravado, is the story behind Moon's '9 Rebounds'

![](https://files.readme.io/4cc597b-image.png) Moon Jung-hyun (194 cm, F) traded flash for grit. Suwon KT defeated Daegu KOGAS 85-81 in a regular-season game of the 2023-2024 Korean Basketball Association on March 23 at the KT Sonic Boom Arena in Suwon, South Korea. With the win, third-place KT improved its record to 32 wins and 19 losses, moving within 2.5 games of fourth-place Seoul SK. In this game, KT struggled against KOGAS, which was missing several starters. The game remained close until the end of the third quarter, with the lead changing hands repeatedly. After the third quarter, KT took control with Paris Bass (207 cm, F), Ha Yoon-ki (203 cm, C), and Heo Hoon (180 cm, G) doing their part inside and out, and eventually secured a valuable win at home. Rookie Moon Jung-hyun was a key factor in KT's victory. Moon came in as a substitute for Moon Sung-gon with 3:25 left in the first quarter. He immediately warmed up by hitting a three-pointer from the outside. He continued to play all 10 minutes in the second quarter and showed his confidence in his shooting by hitting another outside shot from the right corner after receiving a pass from Jung Sung-woo (178 cm, G). In the second quarter, Moon had only made three field goal attempts, but he was able to keep up with the game-leading efforts of Heo Hoon and Jung Sung-woo up front and was active in the matchup against KOGAS' Park Ji-hoon (193 cm, F). After the third quarter, KT was in a close game with KOGAS, but Moon brought his fighting spirit to the court in the fourth quarter. Especially in the fourth quarter, Moon stood out for his rebounding. She grabbed six rebounds in the fourth quarter alone. Four of them were offensive rebounds, and he stayed in the box out. His rebounds set the stage for KT's second-chance points and led to baskets by Ha Yoon-ki and Heo Hoon. Moon's final rebound of the night proved to be crucial in the overtime period. With KT leading 83-81 with 10 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Moon fought off a Heo Hoon three-pointer as it rimmed out, flying out of the paint to save the ball and pass it to Heo Hoon. Eventually, Heo Hoon made the foul free throws and Ha Yoon-ki sealed the game with a tip-in off the rebound to make it 85-81 with six seconds left. On the night, Moon finished with six points, nine rebounds, and two assists in 25:42 of action. His nine rebounds tied his career-high for rebounds in a season. Previously, Moon had recorded nine rebounds against Busan KCC (Nov. 30, 2023) and Anyang Jeonggwanjang (Jan. 27, 2024). KT head coach Song Young-jin said in a postgame interview, "(Moon) did a good job with hustle plays and rebounding. We were able to win the game because the flow came over," he said. Moon was selected as the No. 1 pick in the 2023 rookie draft and was thrust into the spotlight. However, he realized the barriers of the professional world and lost out to Hyundai Mobis' Park Mubin (184 cm, G) and LG's Yoo Yoo-sang (188 cm, G) in the rookie of the year competition. Moon, who was in a lot of pain, dedicated himself to the team with hustle plays instead of his own flamboyance. After an up-and-down rookie season, it remains to be seen if Moon will be able to redeem himself in the playoffs after a disappointing regular season. <https://www.totosafeguide.com>

From pinch-hitter to 'Cinderella' second baseman...'monster' approach Shin Min-jae dreams of evolving again

![](https://files.readme.io/9220576-isp20240323000107.800x.8.jpg) Shin Min-jae (28-LG Twins) has evolved into a starter and is ready to evolve once again. His defense has gotten stronger, his bat has gotten harder. In the opening home game of the 2024 KBO regular season against the Hanwha Eagles at Jamsil Stadium on March 23, Shin Min-jae started at No. 9 and went 2-for-4 with two doubles, three RBIs and one run scored. It was a big deal because his opponent was the "monster" Ryu Hyun-jin (37, Hanwha Eagles). For Shin, starting on Opening Day was a big deal. He entered professional baseball as a developmental player in 2015 and had never started a season as a starter. He was a pinch-hitter thanks to his quick feet, but it wasn't until last year that he was evaluated as a mainstay who could run the bases. He was gradually given a chance by LG coach Yeom Kyung-yeop, and by the end of the season, he had become an integral part of the LG batting lineup with his quick feet and precise hitting, challenging for a triple by the end of the season. In his first game in 2024, the year he was supposed to develop into a true full-time starter, he got his first hit against the league's most talked-about player, Ryu Hyun-jin. With the bases loaded and the score tied 0-0 in the bottom of the second inning, Shin took a five-pitch fastball from Ryu for a two-RBI single to left field. It was the first run allowed by Ryu in 12 years on the KBO mound. Shin Min-jae also played a crucial role in the fourth inning, when the score was tied 2-2. He hit a curveball from Ryu Hyun-jin for a grounder with two outs. However, Hanwha's second baseman Moon Hyun-bin made a throwing error and Shin survived. Shin's "survival" proved to be the difference in the game. Shin scored on Hong Chang-ki's single to center field to help sink Ryu Hyun-jin. In the seventh inning, he lined a single up the middle against Hanwha reliever Lee Min-woo to complete his multi-hit and three-RBI performance. With his performance, LG took an 8-2 victory and a refreshing start to 2024. "He has a good fastball, so I tried to hit him in a fast count," Shin told the media after the game. "I heard that he only throws a changeup 2% of the time to lefties, so I was only thinking about two things: a fastball and a curve. Even after strike two, I thought about the fastball first, and I think it worked out well." He also put his opening game opponent and the pressure of a bases-loaded situation out of his mind. "I didn't think about anything else," Shin said, adding, "I just thought about hitting the fastball when it came." Shin is hoping to fully realize his talent this year after failing to capitalize on it last year. After failing to reach a triple-digit batting average due to a slump at the end of the season, he hopes to prove his worth with the bat with a blind training session this winter. "It's early in the season, but I feel good hitting. My bat speed has increased by more than 10 km/h on average compared to last year," he said. <https://www.totopick.pro>