'Is he built for the closer role?' Lee Young-ha, scoreless in 5 games, proves reliable as a 'volunteer soldier': "When Taek-yeon returns, I will do my best for any mission" [Jamsil Field]

*This content was translated by AI.

Doosan Bears' new closer Lee Young-ha (29) has once again saved the team from a crisis. Nevertheless, he showed the will of a 'volunteer soldier' who does not cling to his position.

On the 7th, at Seoul Jamsil Stadium, Lee Young-ha earned a save by allowing 1 hit over 1⅓ innings without conceding a run in the game against LG Twins. His performance shone even brighter as it came in a situation where the team was on the verge of suffering a midweek sweep by rival LG.

In the bottom of the 8th inning, with Doosan trailing 3-2, two outs, and runners on first and third, Lee Young-ha relieved Park Chi-guk and took the mound. He started nervously by issuing a straight walk to the leadoff batter, pinch-hitter Cheon Seong-ho. However, he induced a shortstop grounder from Lee Jae-won on the second pitch, finishing the inning without allowing any additional runs.

In the bottom of the 9th, he recorded a groundout to second base against leadoff hitter Hong Chang-gi but allowed a third baseman infield hit to Shin Min-jae. Nevertheless, he handled opposing key hitters Austin and Oh Ji-hwan with flyouts to right field and left field, respectively, preserving a nail-biting one-run victory.

Fielders also provided crucial help. Cameron, Doosan's right fielder, sprinted to the right-field foul line to make a diving catch on Austin's hit. Oh Ji-hwan's fly ball, which appeared to be a hit between left and center, was also skillfully handled by left fielder Jo Su-haeng.

After the game, Lee Young-ha told the team via the club: "If it weren't for Cameron and (Jo) Su-haeng, the result would have been different. Thanks to them, we were able to win." He added, "I thought Cameron's catch would be a foul ball based on the trajectory, but he made a fantastic defensive play. The final out (Oh Ji-hwan) was also on an ambiguous line, which was nerve-wracking. I believed they would get the out the moment Su-haeng and (Jeong) Soobin ran toward the ball simultaneously." He credited his teammates for the win.

Lee Young-ha, who recorded 17 wins as a starting pitcher in 2019, later served as a relief pitcher before fully transitioning to the winning bullpen role starting in the 2023 season. However, after manager Kim Won-hyeong (54) took charge this season, his role was changed, and he returned as a starter in the SSG Landers game on April 15 (3 innings, 3 earned runs). Then, when Kim Taek-yeon (21) was sidelined due to a shoulder injury on April 25, Doosan entrusted him with the heavy responsibility of closer.

The new mission has been successful. Starting with a 3-inning scoreless victory against LG on April 26, he recorded saves in the Samsung Lions game on the 30th and the LG game on this day. His season statistics stand at 9 games, 2 wins, 1 loss, 2 saves, and an ERA of 3.75. Notably, since switching to the closer role, he has maintained a scoreless streak over 5 games, pitching 6⅔ innings.

After the victory against LG, manager Kim Won-hyeong praised Lee Young-ha, saying, "Closer Lee Young-ha protected the team's victory today with a focused pitching performance."

Lee Young-ha prioritized the team over himself. He stated, "I am happy to break the losing streak on the final day of the series and secure a win. If games like this become more frequent, the team's atmosphere will improve. I had a strong desire to perform well since camp, but it didn't go as planned. Now, I am enjoying the game." He added, "I will prepare well so that opposing teams do not perceive any weaknesses until Taek-yeon recovers well and returns. If Taek-yeon comes back, I may be assigned a new role, but I will do my best for any mission." He expressed his reliable determination.

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*This content was translated by AI.