'Wa' and Park Jin-hyeong secure the win for Lotte! First relief victory in 5 years since 2021: "I can still do it → If I had given up a run, I would have been sad"

*This content was translated by AI.

Kiwoom Heroes relief pitcher Park Jin-hyeong (32) tasted the joy of being a winning pitcher after 1,834 days. He expressed happiness at being able to prove that he is still in top form.

On the 29th, in the road game against the Lotte Giants at Busan Sajik Stadium, Park Jin-hyeong entered as the sixth pitcher in the bottom of the 9th inning with the score tied at 5-5. He pitched 2 scoreless innings to secure the relief victory. This was a precious win achieved about 5 years after his last victory on April 21, 2021, while playing for Lotte against Doosan at Sajik.

After allowing a hit with two outs in the 9th inning, Park Jin-hyeong induced a ground ball to third base from Jeon Jun-woo. However, he faced a crisis in the bottom of the 10th inning. After one out, he issued consecutive walks to Son Seong-bin and Jeon Min-jae, putting runners in scoring position. He then got Park Seung-wook to hit a foul ball and struck out Han Tae-yang, preventing any runs. In the top of the 11th inning, Oh Seon-jin's squeeze bunt gave Kiwoom the lead, making Park Jin-hyeong the winning pitcher.

After the game, Park Jin-hyeong said, "It was a crisis situation, but I was happy to hold them off for two innings and secure the win." He added, "I didn't pay much attention to the record of 5 years, but I am satisfied that the team won." In particular, he added, "I think I would have been really sad if I had given up a run here, but it is even more meaningful that we won against Lotte."

That day, Park Jin-hyeong was entrusted with two innings under the full trust of the coaching staff. He explained the situation at the time, saying, "I thought I would face only one or two batters in the second inning and then Yuto would come in, but the pitching coach came up and told me, 'You have to hold them off completely.' That gave me strength, and I threw with all my might."

He also expressed his sense of responsibility as a veteran, saying, "There are many young players on the team, and I believe that if I show a stable performance, the team will not collapse."

Displaying his continued form in front of fans who filled Sajik Stadium, Park Jin-hyeong expressed relief, saying, "I am glad that I was able to show Lotte fans and Kiwoom fans that I can still do it."

He cited the moment he got the final batter, Han Tae-yang, as the most thrilling scene. Smiling, he said, "I chose a curveball instead of a fastball in a full-count situation, and the result was good." After a long wait of 1,834 days, Park Jin-hyeong, who fired the starting gun for his resurrection, now looks toward even higher goals for his team.

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*This content was translated by AI.