'Samsung on scoreless' Park Jun-hyeon, crushed by Doosan → 3⅔ innings, 5 earned runs allowed... Threw 157 km/h, but received no defensive help

*This content was translated by AI.

Park Jun-hyeon (19, Kiwoom Heroes), the 2026 Rookie Draft's first overall pick, failed to carry the momentum of his debut victory and endured a harsh growing pain in his second appearance. A painful error by the position players compounded the issue, and he bowed his head at the Gocheok mound.

On the 3rd, Park made his first start in a home game against the Doosan Bears at Gocheok Sky Dome in Guro-gu, Seoul, in the '2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League'. He pitched 3⅔ innings, allowing 6 hits, issuing 3 walks, recording 2 strikeouts, and giving up 5 earned runs (4 unearned) before being pulled early.

However, Park's start was initially steady. After one out in the first inning, he walked Cameron but got Park Jun-soon to strike out swinging and induced Yang Eui-ji into a pitcher's grounder, escaping the inning without allowing a run. In the second, he faced a no-out, second-base crisis after giving up a double to leadoff hitter Ahn Jae-seok, but he held off the following batters and was fortunate to catch Ahn Jae-seok at third base with a pickoff throw, continuing his scoreless streak.

But his control began to waver from the third inning. The walk to leadoff hitter Kim Ki-yeon proved to be the trouble. After allowing a deep double to right field by Oh Myung-jin, putting him in a no-out, second-and-third situation, Park gave up runs on Park Chan-ho's infield grounder and Cameron's double to center field. He then surrendered a two-run single to left field by Yang Eui-ji, allowing three runs in the third inning alone.

In the fourth, he collapsed even without defensive support. With no outs and runners on second and third, a fielding error by third baseman Yang Hyeon-jong on Kim Ki-yeon's grounder cost him another run. Then, with one out and runners on first and second, a bad throw by second baseman Song Ji-hoo to first base compounded the problem, and he missed the chance to end the inning. After Park Jun-hyeon walked Park Jun-soon on a straight pitch, the Kiwoom bench made a move. After putting himself in a bases-loaded situation, Park handed the mound to Kim Jae-woong.

Relief pitcher Kim Jae-woong got Yang Eui-ji out on a fly ball to center field, ending the inning without allowing any additional runs, keeping Park's earned run total at four.

Park threw a fastball reaching 157 km/h, showcasing his power, but struggled with control, issuing 37 balls out of 79 pitches. In other words, he recorded only 42 strikes. Unable to carry forward the momentum of his five-inning scoreless performance against Samsung on April 26, he left behind the rookie challenges of improving his control and managing crisis situations.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.