Kim Do-young completed a cycling hit in just four at-bats
MVP candidate Kim Do-young of the Kia Tigers completed a cycling hit in just four at-bats.
Kim became the 31st player in KBO history to record a cycling hit in his first at-bat of the season when he singled in the first inning, doubled in the second, tripled in the third, and homered in the fourth in a home game against the NC Dinos at Kia Champions Field in Gwangju on Wednesday.
It’s been quite the journey. Kim did it all in just four at-bats, getting a hit in every at-bat.
Starting at third base and batting third, Kim hit a two-pitch infield single in the top of the first inning against NC starter Daniel Castano. A deep ground ball that rolled toward the shortstop turned into an infield hit and Kim was safe at first base.
In her second at-bat of the inning, facing Castano again as the leadoff hitter, Kim took a 143-kilometer two-seam fastball on a 1B1S pitch for a two-run double to right-center field.
In his third at-bat of the fifth inning, he tripled.
Facing Castano again with the bases loaded and no outs, Kim hit a seven-pitch 135-kilometer slider on a full count for a three-run triple to left-center field.
After the third inning, Kim was one home run away from a cycling hit. And as fate would have it, the fourth came soon after. Kia led 6-1 with one out in the bottom of the sixth inning.
On the mound was NC’s Bae Jae-hwan. Kim Do-young hit four foul pitches in the 2B1S. The pitch felt so good. In the fifth pitch, Bae threw a 132-kilometer slider that was high and perfectly timed for Kim’s swing. 메이저사이트 A two-run home run that cleared the left-field wall at Champions Field. Kim immediately realized it was a home run, and the Kia bench and stands went into a frenzy.
It was a ‘natural cycling hit,’ a single, a double, a triple, and a home run, all in the same order.
It’s only the ninth time in league history that a player has accomplished a cycling hit in four at-bats. However, the “natural cycling hit” of singles, doubles, triples, and home runs has only been done once in the KBO’s 40-year history, by Kim Eung-guk (Lotte) in 1996.
Kim Do-young is the second all-time, but Kim Eung-kook only had four at-bats to accomplish the feat. It was a “natural cyclone hit” with an out in the middle. Kim will go down in history as the first player in history to record a natural cycling hit in just four at-bats with no outs.