Oh Ji-hwan’s presence shines through.

The LG Twins cruised to a 14-0 victory over the SSG Landers in the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League on Sunday at SSG Landers Field in Incheon.먹튀검증

The win was LG’s third in a row and moved them within half a game of SSG for sole possession of first place.

The LG mound was nearly flawless on the day. They only allowed three hits to SSG.

After starting pitcher Im Chan-kyu threw six scoreless innings, the bullpen of Kim Jin-seong, Song Eun-beom, and Oh Seok-joo shut down the SSG offense with one scoreless inning each.

The best player at the plate was, of course, Oh Ji-hwan. Oh went 3-for-4 with a double, home run, one run scored and four RBIs.

Oh’s home run was a big part of the game’s early success.

In the top of the first inning with two outs and two runners on base, Oh hit a high slider from SSG starter Oh Won-seok over the right field wall.

It was Oh’s first home run of the season. Notably, it was his first home run in 279 days since September 21 against the KIA Tigers last year, and his first in 72 games and a whopping 248 at-bats since the start of this season.

He followed it up with an RBI double in the fifth inning and an RBI single to left field in the seventh inning to complete his three-hit game.

It’s no exaggeration to say that Oh has been at the center of LG’s offense this season.

According to baseball statistics site Statiz, Oh’s 2.20 wins above replacement (WAR) this season leads the league among shortstops.

His 2.9 RAA, which measures his ability to defend runs against average, ranks fifth among all shortstops in the league.

Last year, Oh hit a career-high 25 arches and recorded his first 20-homer, 20-steal season. He has kept the momentum going. He is now just three home runs shy of 150 for his career.

The presence of Oh Ji-hwan has also helped LG win.

With the team going head-to-head with SSG for the first place matchup, it will be interesting to see if the captain can continue to carry the team’s good vibes.