Had there been no "check swing" review, Park Ji-hoon would have been out; instead, Jeong Soo-bin hit a three-run homer, and Doosan secured its first three-game winning streak. "No one knew" [Yesterday's Baseball Moments]

*This content was translated by AI.

April 21: Doosan 6, Lotte 2 (Busan)

In the top of the 9th inning, with Doosan trailing 3-2, Lotte Giants manager Park Jung-min sent in his ace reliever, Park Jung-min, to the mound. A college rookie selected 14th overall in the second round of this year's draft, he had allowed just one run in 8⅔ innings across eight games prior to this day, posting a 1.04 ERA and emerging as a new core piece of the bullpen.

Leadoff batter Kim Min-seok grounded out to left field. Cameron hit a double to left-center field. After Kang Seung-ho struck out on three pitches, there were two outs with a runner on second. Park Ji-hoon, facing a 3-2 count, stopped his swing as a one-hop inside changeup (clocked at 129 km/h) dropped on the sixth pitch.

The home plate umpire's initial call was a swing strikeout. Park Ji-hoon pointed toward the Doosan dugout, requesting a check swing video review. The call was overturned to a check swing. Doosan manager Kim Won-hyeong was seen on the broadcast screen with a slight smile, appearing not entirely convinced by the reversal.

The strikeout was changed to a walk, allowing Park Ji-hoon to reach first base. Without the video review, the inning would have ended, but instead it became a two-out, runners-on-first-and-second situation. For Doosan, it was an unexpected offensive boost.

Jeong Soo-bin stepped up to the plate. With a 0-2 count, Park Jung-min's third pitch, a 129 km/h changeup, moved inside. The ball soared over 110 meters and cleared the right-field fence. A surprise three-run homer. For Jeong Soo-bin, it was his first extra-base hit of the season and his first hit since August 8, 2025, against the Kiwoom Heroes, 256 days after his last home run (six in the previous year).

The score quickly expanded to 6-2. Kim Taek-yeon, Doosan's closer who had entered in the bottom of the 8th with one out, naturally felt a sense of relief. In the bottom of the 9th, he retired the first batter, Yu Gangnam, on a foul fly to first base with a 148 km/h fastball on the first pitch, but walked Hwang Seong-bin after seven pitches.

Kim Taek-yeon had made early appearances in the 8th inning in three consecutive games since the match against KIA Tigers on the 18th. Had the game remained a one-run contest, he would have faced significant pressure with a tying runner on base.

However, with a comfortable four-run lead, Kim retired Reyes on two slider pitches to center field and struck out Park Seung-wook with two 150 km/h fastballs, inducing a groundout to second base, closing out the game with ease.

Kim Taek-yeon recorded his third save of the season and second consecutive, while Lee Young-ha, who entered in the bottom of the 5th with two outs and allowed one run in one inning, earned his first win of the season. Doosan achieved its first three-game winning streak of the season, moving into a tie for sixth place. Had there been no video review for Park Ji-hoon, no one could have predicted the outcome.

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*This content was translated by AI.