The national fighter is also full of laughter

Despite the absence of veteran left-hander Baek Jung-hyun, the combination of "left" Seung-hyun and "right" for the fourth and fifth starters seems to be taking root. Samsung coach Park Jin-man also appears to have been agonizing over the rotation of the starting pitcher.

Samsung had a landslide 9-2 victory over the Doosan Bears in Jamsil on May 1. After avenging its 0-4 shutout loss the previous day, Samsung secured its third place in the league with 19 wins, one draw and 13 losses in the season. The game gap with the NC Dinos, ranking second in the league, has narrowed to one game.

On the day, Samsung put forward Lee Ho-seong, the fifth starter, in a showdown with Brandon, the opponent team's foreign pitcher. Lee Ho-seong had no win in four games since the opening of the season.

On the day, Lee Ho-seong persevered beyond expectations on the Samsung bench. Coach Park expected Lee Ho-seong to continue the tight race by playing about five innings before the game.
Lee Ho-seong performed his part perfectly by allowing two runs (one earned) with 89 pitches, five hits (one homer) and two strikeouts, one out and one out in 5.2 innings. Samsung's batters instantly set Lee Ho-seong's winning requirement by scoring four runs in the top of the sixth inning when his team was losing 1-2.

After the game, Lee Ho-seong said, "Last year, I won in two games, so I didn't know what was important. I was mentally depressed when I was sluggish, but now I feel relaxed after winning my first game. I want to feel this way more often in the future. When I took the mound in the sixth inning, I thought I should take more responsibility for the innings. It was a shame that I was replaced with just one out left (until the sixth inning), but if I can win this way, I can accept any situation."

"I will only show good performance. I don't keep the competition for the fifth time. I just need to win the competition," he added.

Prior to Lee Ho-sung, "left" Seung-hyun also started against Doosan in Jamsil on April 30 and showed an easy pitch with 90 pitches, four hits, three strikeouts, two walks, and three runs in five innings. Lee Seung-hyun has made three starts this season and is showing a surprising performance as a starting pitcher with a 2-1 loss and an ERA of 1.80, 17 strikeouts and WHIP 1.00.

Manager Park Jin-man said, "Seung-hyun on the left immediately found stability even if he was a little shaken up in the beginning. As he is the first starting pitcher this year, I am satisfied even if he continues to display such pitching. As he threw the ball from the bullpen, he had some elements of anxiety in his command and control. As a starting pitcher, however, he can find stability in the next inning. I have no pressure to completely block the first inning, so I think he is adjusting well to the position he is now."

If the "left" Seung-hyun and "right" Ho-sung combination is successfully positioned in the starting rotation, it will be a big boost to Samsung's fight for the top spot. If Baek returns in the future, the depth of the starting lineup will be even stronger.

"It was a bit difficult to secure the starting position for the April 5th starting line-up due to Baek Jung-hyun's absence, but 'left' Seung-hyun and Lee Ho-sung are taking the position well. Two foreign pitchers are also gradually finding stability. "The '5th starting line' is the key in the starting rotation, so it would be nice if Lee Ho-sung continued to throw well," Park said with a smile.

BY: 안전놀이터