"The victory at Park Byung-ho's retirement ceremony carries even greater meaning → I want to share the joy" Manager Seol Jong-jin moved

*This content was translated by AI.

Kiwoom Heroes, the "franchise legend" Park Byung-ho (40), who is now a coach in the reserve team, capped his final active career game with a brilliant victory. Kiwoom manager Seol Jong-jin (53) credited the win to the retiring Park Byung-ho and the players who united for him.

On the 26th, Kiwoom defeated the Samsung Lions 2-0 in the third game of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League season at Seoul Gocheok Sky Dome. With this win, Kiwoom swept all three games of the weekend series, securing their first "series sweep" of the season and riding a three-game winning streak.

After the game, manager Seol Jong-jin said, "Most importantly, this victory on the day of Park Byung-ho's retirement ceremony carries even greater meaning." He added, "I want to share the joy of today's victory with Park Byung-ho, who has dedicated so much time to the team. All the players approached the game with a sincere desire to win no matter what, and that led to the victory."

The decisive factor in Kiwoom's victory today was the surprise strong performance of rookie pitcher Park Jun-hyun. Taking on the heavy responsibility of starting his debut game, Park Jun-hyun pitched five scoreless innings, shutting down the Samsung lineup. Manager Seol said, "Even though it was his debut, I sincerely congratulate Park Jun-hyun for pitching bravely and earning the win. He is a pitcher whose future is even more anticipated," giving him a thumbs-up.

In the lineup, the harmony between veterans and rookies stood out. In the third inning, a two-run double by Song Ji-hoo and a sacrifice fly by Oh Seon-jin scored the first run. In the eighth inning, a walk by An Chi-hong, a sacrifice bunt by Im Ji-yeol, and a sacrifice fly by Kim Geon-hee followed a textbook scoring sequence. Regarding this, manager Seol commented, "We took control of the game with the first run in the third inning, and the process of adding more runs in the eighth was very smooth."

The ironclad bullpen and defensive focus were also indispensable. Manager Seol stated, "With a narrow score margin, the bullpen—Won Jong-hyun, Kim Sung-jin, Park Jung-hoon, and Yuto—each took full responsibility for their innings. In particular, Brooks' outstanding defensive play in the ninth inning was a decisive moment that saved the team," praising the players evenly.

However, even amidst the victory, there were concerns. Park Soo-jong, who had been performing brilliantly in both offense and defense recently, was substituted due to injury after being hit by a pitch from Miyagi in the eighth inning. Manager Seol expressed his worry, saying, "Park Soo-jong was in great form recently, so I am concerned about his injury. I just hope it is not a serious one," conveying his regret.

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*This content was translated by AI.