Hanwha Eagles’ Nick Williams, 30, celebrated his birthday with a multi-homer game.

Williams batted second in the lineup against the Kiwoom Heroes of the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Aug. 8 and went 2-for-6 with two doubles, two home runs, two RBIs and two runs scored. These were his fifth and sixth home runs of the season.

In the top of the fourth inning with Hanwha trailing 0-2, Williams came to bat for the second time and crushed a 130-kilometer-per-hour slurve off Kiwoom starter Kim Sun-ki’s second pitch for a solo home run to make it a one-run game.

Then, in the 12th inning, with the score tied at 5-5, Williams lifted a 143-kilometer fastball from reliever Park Seung-ju over the right field wall for a solo home run. The home run proved to be the game-winning hit in a long game.

Williams, who came to Hanwha this season as a replacement for Brian O’Grady, has struggled in 41 games, batting just 2-for-35 (153 at-bats) with six home runs, 21 RBIs and a .644 OPS. This has kept him out of the starting lineup recently.

Williams’ return to the starting lineup, his first since May 26, coincidentally happened to be his birthday, and he made it a happy one with his best performance yet. In her post-match interview, Williams said, “What a night. It’s an adrenaline rush. I don’t usually show dramatic emotions in my professional life, but tonight I couldn’t help but show it. I’m just so happy for the team to get the win.”

“I think we all live to make big moments like today,” said Williams, who admired her own performance. “Of course, there’s stress in big situations, but it’s a blessing to be in those situations. I’m always ready to play, even if I’m not the starter. No matter what position I’m in, I’m going to try to win.”

Williams previously played in Cincinnati on July 27, 2018, when he went 5-for-4 with two doubles, a home run, two RBIs and two runs scored while playing for the Philadelphia Phillies. “I’ve hit two home runs against Cincinnati in the major leagues,” Williams said, “and my family was in the stadium that day. My son, wife, and father-in-law were at the ballpark today as well,” he said, emphasizing that he owes his good performance to his family.메이저사이트

Hanwha fans at the Gocheok Dome sang “Happy Birthday” to Williams for his good performance. “I heard the fans singing happy birthday to me. It helped me tremendously. More than the cheers or congratulatory songs, the fans’ shouts are the reason for me to focus on my play and play well,” he said, expressing his gratitude to the fans.