Kuo Tien-hsin hits 6th homer, sets personal record, nears 100 stolen bases

Wei Chuan Dragons outfielder Kuo Tien-hsin achieved a personal milestone on Tuesday, hitting his sixth home run of the season to set a new career high in a dominant 9-1 victory over the CTBC Brothers. The win was bolstered by Kuo's 3 RBIs and 2 runs scored.

“

The moment I swung in the sixth inning, I felt it would go out.

Kuo's 99th career stolen base also came in the first inning, putting him on the cusp of another significant achievement. He scored on a wild pitch after stealing second, helping his team tie the game. Later, in the sixth inning, his three-run homer extended the Dragons' lead.

Reflecting on his performance, Kuo stated, "The moment I swung in the sixth inning, I felt it would go out." He admitted to eagerly anticipating breaking his previous home run record, set on June 2nd. "I've been waiting quite a while for this," he said. "Mainly, my physical condition has improved this year, which has allowed for this number of home runs. But I won't deliberately force them this year; if I really want to hit a home run, it often results in a poor outcome."

“

I've been waiting quite a while for this. Mainly, my physical condition has improved this year, which has allowed for this number of home runs. But I won't deliberately force them this year; if I really want to hit a home run, it often results in a poor outcome.

Despite being just one stolen base away from 100, Kuo remained composed. "Although I knew in the first inning that I was only one steal away from 100, and I got on base again in the eighth, I didn't want to attempt the steal," he explained. "The score difference was too large, and the first baseman wasn't holding the base tightly. Even if I succeeded, it wouldn't count." He prefers a "go with the flow" approach, confident he will reach the milestone naturally. Kuo's offensive statistics for the first half of the season, including an OPS of 0.799 and a slugging percentage of 0.435, are already career bests.

“

Although I knew in the first inning that I was only one steal away from 100, and I got on base again in the eighth, I didn't want to attempt the steal. The score difference was too large, and the first baseman wasn't holding the base tightly. Even if I succeeded, it wouldn't count.