If there was one bright spot for the Kiwoom Heroes in their three-game losing streak, it was the performance of foreign-born Ronnie Dawson.
Kiwoom fell into a three-game losing streak with a 2-4 loss in the 10th game of the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League against the LG Twins at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on Monday.
Kiwoom totaled eight hits off the bench on the day, with Dawson the only other player with more than two hits. Dawson finished the day with four hits, two doubles and one RBI. It was his second consecutive multi-hit game, following one against the Gocheok Samsung Lions on March 30. On the other hand, the Korean bats were largely ineffective, with Lee Won-seok, Joo Sung-won, and Lee Ji-young finishing the game without a hit.
Dawson, who started in left field as the No. 3 hitter, struck out in his first at-bat, but his disappointment didn’t last long. In the top of the third, with runners on second and third and a 2-2 count, Dawson pulled a five-pitch changeup from LG starter Im Chan-kyu and sent it into the right field seats for a double, bringing home Kim Tae-jin from third and Lee Yong-kyu from first.
Dawson continued to put pressure on the opposition in the top of the eighth inning when he reached base on an infield single. After Dawson’s hits in both the third and eighth innings, Kiwoom had a chance to score, but was unable to capitalize on the opportunity.
Dawson, who joined the team at the start of the second half of the season, has been playing since March 22 against the Busan Lotte Giants. On the season, he’s 15-for-34 with a .441 batting average, two home runs and eight RBIs. It’s too early to tell if he’ll be successful, but he’s quickly integrating into the team and the league.
Before the game, Kiwoom manager Hong Won-ki expressed his satisfaction, saying, “He is showing his performance while adapting well to the team, whether it’s batting or defense.” “But more than that, I want to give him high marks for trying to create a good atmosphere in the locker room,” he added.안전놀이터
With Lee Jung-hoo’s injury weighing heavily on his shoulders, Dawson had a tough schedule last week, including two overtime games. Coach Hong Won-ki said, “We’ve played a lot of overtime since the series against Lotte, so it was like we were holding our tongues (laughs). “She was tired on the 30th because she played through the fierce and tough games to the end, but I believe she will do well as long as she has the energy,” he said, hinting at his expectations for Dawson.
Dawson’s presence has revitalized Kiumb to some extent, but it’s not enough. The domestic batsmen need to take the pressure off Dawson for the synergy to work.