▲ Choi Won-tae ⓒ Samsung Lions
▲ Choi Won-tae ⓒ Samsung Lions
The Samsung Lions defeated the LG Twins 9-1 at Jamsil Baseball Stadium on the 12th, extending their winning streak to eight games and climbing to second place in the KBO League. This victory, fueled by Bae Chan-seung’s clutch pitching out of a jam and Jeon Byung-woo’s grand slam, also pushed LG down to third place, a 0.5-game gap. Samsung’s eight-game winning streak is their first since May 22, 2014—a span of 4,373 days.
However, before praising the heroes of the game, manager Park Jin-man first highlighted another player: Choi Won-tae, the starting pitcher who threw six scoreless innings but was denied a win when the game was tied in the seventh.
Choi held LG hitless through the early frames, escaping a first-and-second, no-out jam in both the fifth and sixth innings. Despite his stellar outing, the bullpen allowed a run in the seventh, preventing him from earning the win. Yet Park did not forget his contribution.
“Starting pitcher Choi Won-tae pitched reliably and laid the foundation for our winning streak,” Park said after the game. “Throughout the game, the outfielders’ defensive support was also excellent. Koo Ja-wook’s nice catch on a potential hit in the sixth inning was a great moment.”
▲ Manager Park Jin-man ⓒ Kwak Hye-mi
With the score tied 1-1 in the seventh inning, reliever Bae Chan-seung entered with two outs and runners on first and second. He struck out the final batter to end the threat and earned the relief win. Park praised him: “Bae Chan-seung did not allow any additional runs in that crisis situation, preventing the momentum from shifting.”
The defining moment came in the top of the eighth with the bases loaded and two outs. Jeon Byung-woo launched a grand slam, putting the game out of reach. Jeon finished with one hit (a home run), one walk, and five RBIs in three at-bats. Park said, “Jeon Byung-woo is becoming an indispensable player for our team. I hope that grand slam in a crucial moment will give him great confidence going forward.”
In the ninth inning, Lee Jae-hyun, who returned from injury that day, hit his first home run of the season. Park added, “Lee Jae-hyun is back from his injury. I was hoping he would at least play good defense, but it’s encouraging that he contributed with two hits, including a home run, on top of solid defense.”
▲ Samsung Lions’ Jeon Byung-woo hits a grand slam, leading the team to an 8-game winning streak and second place. ⓒ Samsung Lions