'30 pitches yesterday, was back-to-back too much?' Kim Jae-yun walks again, walks again → Samsung shocked again by comeback loss; '3rd place also in jeopardy' [Yesterday's Baseball Moment]

*This content was translated by AI.

April 22, SSG 3-2 Samsung (Daegu)

Leading 2-1 in the top of the 9th, the Samsung Lions brought in closer Kim Jae-yun (36). This was his second consecutive appearance. In the top of the 9th against SSG Landers on the previous day (21st), with the score tied 4-4, Kim Jae-yun entered with one out and issued two walks and a hit-by-pitch, creating a bases-loaded, two-out crisis before being removed from the mound. He threw 30 pitches. Miyazaki then struck out Kim Jae-hwan, allowing no runs.

On this day, the situation was not a tie but a one-run lead. Had he secured the win, Kim Jae-yun would have recorded his fifth save of the season and his 198th career save, moving one step closer to becoming the sixth player in history to reach 200 saves.

Once again, he handled the first batter well, retiring Han Yu-seom on a center field fly in four pitches.

However, was back-to-back pitching after throwing 30 pitches the day before too much? He allowed a walk to Kim Jae-hwan on the seventh pitch and then threw two balls in succession to pinch-hitter Choi Jun-woo. The third pitch was a strike. At that moment, pinch-runner Chae Hyun-woo successfully stole second base. Two more balls followed, and Choi Jun-woo reached base on a walk in five pitches.

With one out and runners on first and second, the 8th batter Oh Tae-gon (35), who had recorded two strikeouts and a shortstop ground ball earlier that day, stepped up to the plate. Samsung catcher Kang Min-ho came to the mound to confer with Kim Jae-yun. Kim Jae-yun attempted to throw a 143 km/h fastball down the middle to get a first-pitch strike.

Oh Tae-gon did not miss it. The ball flew between left field and center field, struck the wall, and dropped. During that time, both the runner from second base, Chae Hyun-woo, and the pinch-runner from first base, Hong Dae-in, crossed home plate, turning the score to 3-2 in favor of SSG. It was a go-ahead, game-winning, two-run double. The moment Samsung starter Harada, who had pitched seven innings allowing four hits and one run, saw his victory slip away. Kim Jae-yun threw 17 pitches, allowing one hit and two walks over one-third of an inning while surrendering two runs, before handing the mound to Bae Chan-seung.

In the bottom of the 9th, SSG made a different choice. Instead of closer Jo Byung-hyun (24), who had thrown 44 pitches over 1⅔ innings the previous day, they brought in Kim Min (27). Kim Min allowed a hit to Kim Heon-gon and found himself with one out and runners on second base, but he struck out Cha Seung-jun and Park Seung-gyu in succession to record his first save of the season and his second career save since his debut in 2018.

Due to the struggles of their trusted bullpen, Samsung suffered back-to-back shocking comeback losses, falling from a seven-game winning streak to three consecutive defeats. Their hold on third place has become precarious. After dropping from first to third place the previous day, they now trail fourth-place SSG by just half a game.

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*This content was translated by AI.