*This content was translated by AI.
The final game of the midweek three-game series between Samsung Lions and LG Twins was held at Seoul Jamsil Stadium on the 14th. After each team had one win and one loss, the decisive moment of the day's match came in the bottom of the fifth inning when LG's Austin (33) stepped up to the plate.
LG had allowed six runs in the top of the second inning, giving up consecutive home runs to Lee Jae-hyun (bases loaded) and Kang Min-ho (solo). They scored one run in the bottom of the third on a solo home run by Lee Ju-heon. In the top of the fifth, they surrendered two more runs, falling behind 1-7. However, they cut the deficit by one run in the bottom of the fifth when a ground ball by Cheon Seong-ho resulted in an error by LG's shortstop Lee Jae-hyun.
With two outs and bases loaded, the fourth batter, Austin, came to the plate. His career batting average with the bases loaded is an impressive .400 (18 hits in 45 at-bats). A home run would have narrowed the gap to 6-7, and even a single would have added two runs, bringing the score to 4-7 and keeping their comeback hopes alive.
Yang Chang-seop (27) of Samsung made his first start in 29 days. His pitch count at that point stood at 79, approaching his season-high of 89 pitches set on April 7 against KIA.
The first three pitches were all balls. The fourth pitch was a 148 km/h fastball for a strike, making the count 3-1. The fifth and sixth pitches were fastballs that resulted in fouls. Samsung's battery catcher, Kang Min-ho, changed his pitch selection. From the seventh to the tenth pitch, he threw four sliders in the 136th–138 km/h range. Two of them made solid contact, but Austin's swing was so fast that they flew in a high arc toward the stands on the third-base side.
The pitcher then changed his pitch selection again. The eleventh and twelfth pitches were fastballs, both fouled off. The tension in both dugouts and the stands reached a peak as Austin hit eight consecutive foul balls.
On the thirteenth pitch, Yang Chang-seop's 149 km/h fastball drilled low and inside, barely brushing the ABS zone for a strike. It was a looking strikeout. Yang clenched his fist and roared, while Austin, thinking it was a ball, began walking toward first base before throwing away his bat and helmet.
LG missed their chance to rally and allowed one run each in the seventh and eighth innings. In the bottom of the ninth, Lee Ju-heon hit a three-run home run, narrowing the score to 5-9. For LG, the failure to score in the bottom of the fifth inning remained a significant disappointment.
After the game, we heard from Samsung's battery catcher about the tense situation at the time.
Kang Min-ho (41) said, "I thought if I threw a slider, a big hit might come out, so I adjusted my pitch selection to try to limit it to a single even if contact was made. But as the pitch count grew, I started thinking I could get a strikeout with a slider. So I threw a few sliders in a row, then changed my mind again, thinking 'No, let's limit it to a single.' But the last fastball brushed the ABS zone, resulting in a strikeout."
Yang Chang-seop, who pitched five innings against Austin as the final batter, threw 92 pitches, allowed four hits (including one home run), and gave up two runs (one earned), earning his second win of the season without a loss. He reflected, "Austin is the batter who hits best, so I felt that if he got on base, the momentum would shift. I kept fighting, and luckily the pitch brushed the zone for a strike. I roared without realizing it. It was the best moment of the day."
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*This content was translated by AI.
