‘Wasted cycling hit’ Rojas appeals strongly for last at-bat…admits with a cool smile
‘I’m just two hits away from the record…’ Doosan Rojas, who was just one hit away from a batting title, made a strong appeal in his final at-bat in the seventh inning when a deep changeup to his body was called a strike after a full count.
The two teams are in a tight race for third place as the season comes to a close. The 16th and final game of the season between the Doosan Bears and the NC Dinos was held at Jamsil Stadium on the 12th.
Doosan Rojas, who started the game as the No. 2 designated hitter, led the team’s batting with his hot hitting. After giving NC the lead in the first inning, Doosan immediately tied the game in the bottom of the first.
In the bottom of the first inning, Doosan Rojas took a 142-kilometer fastball from NC starter Lee Jae-hak for a solo shot to tie the game. The pitch was so fast that the right fielder had to give up his defense.
Rojas, who hit a home run in his first at-bat, followed it up with a double in his second at-bat. With one out in the third, the NC infield left the third base side empty for Rojas, who made an extreme defensive shift. Rojas took the first pitch and laid down a bunt toward third base for an infield hit. In his second at-bat, Rojas, 먹튀검증 who had hit a pitch to the farthest corner of Jamsil Stadium in his previous at-bat, rolled a pitch to the nearest corner for a hit.
In his third at-bat, in the bottom of the fourth inning, Rojas dropped a pitch to deep right field. The replay from NC right fielder Kim Sung-wook to second baseman Park Min-woo was clean. Immediately after the hit, however, Rojas started running with the intention of stealing third base. Rojas launched himself toward third base at the same time as the pitch, and he narrowly missed touching the base first.
With only two runs left in the game, the Doosan fans cheered Rojas on as he stepped to the plate as the leadoff hitter in the bottom of the seventh inning. Doosan’s Rojas was cautious and worked a full count against NC’s Shin Min-hyuk. When a six-pitch changeup went deep in the zone, Rojas was convinced it was a ball, so he pulled his hips back and held his swing. However, umpire Kim Jun-hee called the pitch over the strike zone.
Rojas, who was on the verge of completing the cycling hit record, gestured with his bat to indicate that it was out of the strike zone, but there was no reversal. It was a nerve-wracking moment for the batsman, who could have gotten a cycling hit with a double. Unable to leave his seat easily, Rojas appealed to the umpire as he headed for the dugout.
Despite failing to complete the feat, Rojas, who helped his team to victory with his hot hitting, was all smiles in the final moments.
