"In a close game, the teammates stayed focused until the end and that led to a good result."
Professional baseball NC Dinos foreign hitter Matt Davidson finally launched a signal of a rebound.
Davidson hit a home run and a double in the home game against the KIA Tigers at Changwon NC Park on the 28th, leading the team to a 5-4 victory. It was a performance that signaled escaping his slump.
Until last year, Davidson was a definite cleanup hitter. In 2024 he played 131 games with a .306 batting average, 46 home runs and 119 RBIs, and last year he also recorded a .293 batting average, 36 home runs and 97 RBIs, establishing himself as a core of the middle lineup.
But this season's start was not good. Before this game he had played 23 games with a .217 batting average, 3 home runs, 12 RBIs and an OPS of 0.651, falling short of expectations.
Still, manager Lee Ho-jun's faith did not waver. At a meeting with reporters before the game, he said, "Davidson is currently the cleanup hitter. It's time for him to do it now, and I believe he will." He added, "He is a player whose ability has been fully proven. It seems his confidence fell due to a slow start to the season. He is a player who needs time."
And that faith led to results.
Davidson, leading off the second inning, hit a solo home run to left-center off KIA starter James Neal. With the count 1-2, he drove the fourth pitch, a 132 km sweeper, over the fence. It was his fourth homer of the season, his first in nine days since the May 19 game against the SSG Landers in Changwon.
He struck out in a no-out, runners on first and second chance in the third, but showed his presence again in the sixth. He hit a double to left-center off Neal to create a chance, and in the following at-bat he set the stage for the game-winning run.
With no outs and runners on first and third, Do Tae-hoon struck out, but Ahn Jung-yeol drove a run-scoring single to right to complete the 5-4 lead. NC then relied on its bullpen's all-out effort to preserve the one-run victory.
After the game, Davidson said, "In a close game the teammates all worked for the win and I'm happy it led to a good result," and added, "I'm glad I could live up to the fans' expectations."
He continued, "I had difficulties early in the season, but I kept thinking and working to find the swing I can make," and said, "I'm grateful that fans continued to support me despite the hard times. I will show a better performance from now on."
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