Jang Jang-woo sparks KT’s resurgence with 5 RBIs in 5 straight wins
KT Wiz outfielder Jang Jang-woo (33), who was in a hitting slump in August, bounced back with a five-hit blast.
KT won 9-8 against the Doosan Bears in the 2023 Shinhan Bank Solar KBO League at Jamsil Stadium on Sunday.
KT won all three games of the series against Doosan to extend its winning streak to five games.
It was Jang Sung-woo who led KT’s five-game winning streak.
Jang went 4-for-5 with a home run, five RBIs and one run scored. He had a single, a double, and a home run. He needed only a triple to complete the cycling hit.
KT took the lead in the first inning with a home run by Jang Jang-woo.
After Kim Min-hyuk singled and Anthony Alford walked to put runners on first and second in the first inning, Jang Jang-woo pulled a four-pitch low slider from Doosan starter Brandon Waddell for a three-run blast over the left field wall.
It was his first hit in 12 games since the first of the month against SSG. It was his ninth home run of the season.
Jang Jang-woo led the way for KT to hold off the Doosan rally.
Jang Jang-woo hit a timely double to right-center field with no outs in the top of the third inning when KT trailed 4-3.
In the top of the fifth inning, with the bases loaded and KT leading 6-3, Jang Sung-woo lined a single to right field against reliever Choi Won-joon.
Jang also singled to left field with one out in the top of the ninth inning when KT led 9-5.
It was the fourth time in his career and the first time this season that Jang had five RBIs in a game. It was his first five-hit game in 434 days since June 9 against the Gochuk Kiwoom Heroes last year.
For Jang Jang-woo himself, it’s a meaningful blast that washes away his recent slump.
Until June, Jang had been a solid hitter. His monthly batting averages for May and June were 0.314 and 0.310, respectively.
In June, he hit four home runs and drove in 16 RBIs in 21 games. His OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) for the month of June was 0.966.
From July onward, however, his hitting dropped off. In July, he batted just .255 with an OPS of .650.
In August, his slump was even more extreme: in 12 games from the first of the month to the last, he batted just .108 (4-for-37). His OPS was a miserable 0.314.
After hitting .284 at the end of June, Jang’s season average had dropped to .257 the day before.
But as if to erase his recent slump, Jang showed off his hot bat that day.
If the rejuvenated Jang Sung-woo can bounce back and add more power to his bat, KT will be in good shape as they look to reach higher. 파워볼사이트