Veteran infielder Donovan Solano (37), a teammate of Kim Ha-sung (29. San Diego), expressed his feelings of not being able to play every day after hitting the winning RBI against the Earth’s rival LA Dodgers.
Donovan was put into the game as a pinch hitter in place of first baseman Jake Cronenworth (30) in the bottom of the 10th inning of the home game held at Petco Park in San Diego, California on the 31st (Korea time). At that time, Dodgers pitcher Alex Vesia (28) was a left-handed pitcher, so San Diego chose right-handed hitter Solano without left-handed batter Cronenworth.
With a ball count of one ball and two strikes, Solano hit a three-pitch slider at 83.9 miles (135 kilometers) to lead the team to an RBI single that penetrates the third base like a bullet. The extended game that continued into the 10th inning ended with San Diego’s 6-5 come-from-behind victory.
In an interview with the San Diego Union-Turribune after the game, Solano said, “It’s hard to sit on the bench and wait for the opportunity to play,” explaining his situation and feelings that he has not been able to play often recently.
Solano did not have many chances to play in the starting lineup, as he played just 14 at-bats out of the 13 games that the San Diego Padres have played in. He only played in 13 games in July, including Saturday’s game as a substitute.
Solano said, “While waiting for the opportunity, I have been preparing myself mentally and physically to prepare for the situation with the idea that ‘this team will definitely need me in a special situation’.”
“You shouldn’t get excited just because you can’t play games often because of that. You have to be calm. I have to keep my position,” he said. “I try not to think about the situation where I can’t play much right now. Instead, I think that the moment that my team needs me, there will be a situation. That’s how I deal with the current situation. And didn’t you see the result today?” he said, explaining why he was able to hit the final shot.
Solano, who is in his 11th year in the Major League this year, joined the team belatedly. The contract process was as dramatic as that of a movie. After failing to visit the team until early April, he accidentally called the local gardener to manage the garden in his home, and when he learned that he could not find the team until then, he recommended the team to the team and was able to sign a minor contract with the San Diego Padres.
Solano, who was called up to the big league in about a month, showed better-than-expected performance and is performing like an Altoran. As of the 1st (Korea Standard Time), he has appeared in a total of 55 games this season and has a batting average of 0.303 (53 hits in 175 times at bat) and three home runs and 20 RBIs. His OPS, which combines on-base percentage and slugging percentage, is 0.765.토토사이트
Solano has enough skills to play every day as a main player if he goes to other teams, but the playing time is increasingly limited due to the peculiarity of the San Diego infield, which is full of high-paid players such as “Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts, and Jake Cronenworth.” At the beginning of the season, Machado and Bogaerts had a lot of playing time due to injuries, but after they return, the time to play is gradually limited.
Solano, who has been performing as a key player, only earns 790,000 dollars (about 1.1 billion won) this season, the lowest annual salary in the league. He is an indispensable player in the San Diego Padres.
