NC Dinos’ foreign-born slugger Jason Martin hit two home runs to lead his team to a thrilling come-from-behind victory.
NC won its fourth straight game, 7-5, against Hanwha in the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League at Hanwha Stadium in Daejeon on April 22 to improve to 41-1 and 38-38 on the season. Martin, who started in center field and batted fourth, exploded for two home runs, four RBIs and two runs scored in the win.
He got the first and last runs of the day. Martin led off the second inning with a solo home run over the right field fence on a 145 km/h fastball from Hanwha starter Felix Peña. It was Martin’s eighth home run of the season.
Then came the decisive blast in the top of the ninth. With runners on first and third and NC down 4-5, Martin took a 134km/h forkball from Hanwha closer Park Sang-won and sent it over the fence once again. The home run tied the game and gave NC a two-run lead to complete the victory.
After the game, Martin said, “I felt good overall today. I thought the pitches I got out of the zone were good enough, so I didn’t change them and just kept swinging at them,” he said. “The power analysis report said that Park throws a lot of forkballs, so I went in looking for forkballs, and I tried to look at the top of the strike zone as much as I could to avoid chasing down pitches.”
After struggling early in the season, Martin came alive in June and has continued his hot streak in July, batting .341 with 14 hits (four home runs), 14 RBIs, six runs scored and six runs batted in over 11 games. “I think trying not to miss pitches has led to good results,” Martin said. “I was trying to adjust to the Korean pitching style, and I think I’m getting used to it now.”체스카지노
“I also adjusted my hand position a little bit higher, but I think it was more about trying to stay calm at the plate. “The most important thing was to believe in myself and focus on every moment, and I also relied on the coaching staff and players for synergy,” he added.
Meanwhile, Ronnie Dawson, the newest foreign hitter to join the Kiwoom Heroes, said he asked Martin for advice on Korean baseball, to which Martin replied, “The main thing he emphasized was that Korean baseball is really great and cool, and he told me not to lose confidence in any situation.”