'How could this be?' Won Tae-in with 69 wins, turns out to be just two wins with a catcher other than Kang Min-ho! "I miss Min-ho-hyung a lot. I trusted Kim Do-hwan and threw, so thank you."

*This content was translated by AI.

Samsung Lions' 'Ace of the Blue Blood' Won Tae-in (26) achieved a rare record along with his first win of the season. It was his second victory without the 'Veteran Catcher' Kang Min-ho (41).

On the 7th, Samsung secured a 6-0 victory over the Kiwoom Heroes in a home game at Daegu Samsung Lions Park, completing a series sweep. Starting pitcher Won Tae-in delivered a perfect scoreless outing of 7 innings, allowing 3 hits and recording 6 strikeouts, shutting down the Kiwoom lineup and earning his first win of the season in five games.

Today's victory marked Won Tae-in's 69th career win since his professional debut in the 2019 season. The win carried added significance as it was achieved with 'same-age' Kim Do-hwan (26) rather than the veteran catcher Kang Min-ho. During Won Tae-in's 69 career wins, he has recorded a victory with a catcher other than Kang Min-ho only twice. Previously, on June 7, 2021, in a game against the Daegu Lotte Giants, Won Tae-in, who started as the pitcher, worked in tandem with catcher Kim Min-su (35, currently with LG Twins), pitching 7 innings, allowing 5 hits and 1 earned run, and earning the win. That game was his only victory without Kang Min-ho.

In a post-game interview, when asked by StarNews about becoming the winning pitcher with a catcher other than Kang Min-ho, Won Tae-in smiled and said, "Actually, that was one of the things we often talked about with (Kang) Min-ho-hyung. Even before today's game, Min-ho-hyung contacted me. He gave me encouraging words to fight hard and turn the tide, so I focused only on the game." He continued, "I still miss Min-ho-hyung a lot. He told me to win as many games as possible while he takes a short break, so I threw as hard as I could," revealing his deep affection for his senior.

He also did not forget to mention catcher Kim Do-hwan. Won Tae-in, who trusted Kim Do-hwan's leadership 100% today, said, "I am truly grateful to Do-hwan," and added, "Do-hwan and I had many conversations before the game, and thanks to his good leadership, we were able to manage the innings well," passing the credit to his teammate.

Kim Do-hwan also reflected on the game, saying, "(Choi) Won Tae-hyung and (Won) Tae-in were both pitchers who played many games with (Kang) Min-ho-hyung, so I studied hard on how they coordinated. Having many conversations with the scouting team and the battery coach also helped us achieve good chemistry."

Kim Do-hwan recorded 2 hits in 3 at-bats today, completing his first multi-hit game of the season. Kim Do-hwan said, "I also had many conversations with the batting coach regarding batting. Additionally, seeking advice from seniors who are maintaining good batting form was a great help in recording 2 hits," and even expressed his gratitude.

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*This content was translated by AI.